Happily Ever After
by soonerchick7
Summary: Rory is now a senior at Yale, and she thinks she is happy with her life. That all changes after she makes one little phone call...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_It was a rainy autumn morning, and as usual, Rory was on her way to Luke's Diner for breakfast. As she neared the small diner, she saw her mother already inside, arguing with Luke. She laughed, knowing that the obvious tension between the two was from attraction. She entered the store, and was soon swept into the argument._

"_Luke, COME ON, I just want a stack of blueberry pancakes without the blueberries. Is that so difficult to process?" asked Lorelai for the tenth time._

"_Why don't you just order REGULAR pancakes then?" Luke fired back angrily._

"_Because they don't taste the same!" Lorelai whined. _

"_Hey Mom. Luke." Rory greeted pleasantly. "What's going on?"_

"_Luke won't take my order, and I'm really hungry. I just want blueberry pancakes without blueberries!" Lorelai grumbled._

"_Ok, that sounds reasonable," Rory replied, looking at Luke. "I would like the same, please." _

"_Rory, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, why can't you two just order regular pancakes?!" Luke yelled._

"_Ok, here's what you do: Just make the blueberry pancake batter, and then take out the blueberries before you make our pancakes. Then we will be happy. Right Mom?" _

"_Right, right." Lorelai mumbled._

"_Gah, fine." Luke replied, storming off._

"_Ah, these moments of my life are the things that really keep me going, in all honesty," said Lorelai in a peaceful tone._

"_Well, I'm glad Mom, really, I am," laughed Rory as she twirled the ring on her left finger. She began to look around the diner for the familiar face that she had been expecting._

_Luke returned to the table with a pitcher of coffee. "He's not up yet, Ror. Give him a couple of minutes, he was passed out on the bed last time I checked."_

"_What? I wasn't looking for-" Rory laughed nervously. _

"_Uh huh, sure. Well, you can go on up if you want," said Luke._

"_Thanks!" Rory grabbed her messenger bag and practically ran up the stairs behind the counter to the apartment above the diner. She knocked. No answer. She knocked again._

"_He must not be up yet," she said aloud. She entered the apartment anyway. The place was familiar to her: she had spent countless hours studying at the small table in the center of the room. She walked around, picking up wrappers and beer bottles, attempting to clean the place. When it looked more or less presentable, she went back to his room. She opened the door and saw Jess in his boxers, sleeping heavily. She walked over to the bed and plopped down beside him, snuggling up to his warm back. Slowly, she began to kiss his neck and back, knowing that this was just the thing he needed to wake up. She continued her ministrations on his back, not knowing that he was awake. In a flash, Jess had turned around to face Rory, and was now kissing her full on the mouth. _

"_Mmm… good morning." She murmured._

"_Good morning to you too, my beautiful fiancé." Jess said huskily, his voice still thick with sleep. "I missed you."_

"_Fiancé. I like the sound of that. Wait, what are you talking about? I just saw you yesterday!"_

"_So? That's still too long to wait. But, now that I'm awake… anything new?" he questioned, ever so slowly awakening._

"_Better now," she laughed. "I actually had a really good day at the paper yesterday, the editor liked my article and is publishing it in our next issue!" Rory practically squealed the last portion of this information._

"_That's great! Congratulations!" He kissed her again, this time more passionately. "I knew you could do it!"_

"_Thanks, babe. So, are you planning on joining the land of the living this morning?"_

"_Well, I was thinking I might just sit around and read today, it is the perfect weather. Would you like to join me?" he asked suggestively._

"_I will this afternoon, ok? I have to turn in a few things at the office, and then I'll be back. Do you want anything?" she asked, getting off the bed._

"_Besides you, you mean?" he asked, pulling her back down and claiming her lips once more. His stubble tickled her, and she giggled at the feeling. _

"_As fun as this is, I actually do have to go eat breakfast with my mom, she hasn't seen much of me lately. She says I spend too much time with you."_

"_Ugh, ok. Hurry back, ok?" he practically whimpered with his best imitation of the Gilmore Puppy Dog Eyes._

"_Ha, ok. You'll never be as good as me at that, you know," she laughed._

"_Hey! I try. If you're going to be mean to me, then go," he said through pouted lips._

"_Oh, I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you later," she purred seductively into his ear. "But, the longer I stay and talk to you, the longer it's going to take me to get back…"_

"_Then go!" he practically shouted. _

_The young couple kissed once more, and Rory shut the door behind her as she continued down to the diner. _

"_Today is going to be a good day," she whispered to herself, still feeling tingly from the kisses…_

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Rory couldn't reach the Hello Kitty alarm clock. The sound of it was so intrusive, ruining her perfect dream, the secret life that she wanted. The dream had, yet again, been about _him_. He had been in her thoughts, her dreams, her life, and it was all so sudden. She closed her eyes tight, willing sleep to return to her. It didn't come. "Urgh… Today is NOT going to be a good day," she mumbled sleepily.


	2. Chapter 2

She got up slowly, and the wood floor of her dorm felt like ice on her feet. She went over to the baseboard heater, turned it on, and waited. She knew that it would take at least 10 minutes for the warmth to spread throughout the room, so she decided to get back in bed and grab the book that currently occupied her nightstand. The handwriting in the margins was small, cramped, and slightly messy. Only one person's handwriting looked that way: _his_. At the sight of the handwriting, Rory let out a frustrated sigh and threw the book down. That was the third dream this week. She couldn't take it anymore, this was just getting ridiculous. The reality of the dream had drawn her in to an alternate universe, one where she wasn't tired, depressed, and lonely. She was happy there with him, the way things were supposed to be. But she had left Stars Hollow a scared freshman in college, needing the change. But now that she was a senior, she was beginning to realize that maybe her life wasn't as perfect as she once thought. She needed stability. Happiness. Love. She needed _him_. Yale was great, but she only had two months left, and what would she do after that?

Looking around the room, she saw most of her belongings in boxes, because Paris had convinced her that packing early would be the best plan, the easiest way to get things done. Rory needed coffee. She walked across the now-warm floor toward the coffee machine, knowing that the caffeine would only maintain her happiness for a few hours and then she would crash and get more coffee, etc., etc. It was a vicious cycle, but she had long ago admitted that she was addicted to caffeine. As she poured the French Vanilla creamer into the beverage and took a sip, her happiness instantly improved. She finished the first cup, and poured herself another, planning out her day in her head. _"Well, first I have Lit., and then History of Old English Authors, then lunch… Then I have a newspaper meeting to discuss the new staffing, and then homework from four to six… and then dinner with Logan. That's pretty much it, I think. Wow, busy day."_ Rory said all of these things to no one in particular, for no one else was in her room: she now lived next door to Paris, rather than in the same room with her. She thought that it would be best.

As she walked through the room, she began to pick up stray books that had fallen off of the crowded desk, papers that had been strewn to the floor, old articles that she had written, anything that caught her eye as being out of place. Once the room finally looked the way that she thought it should, Rory decided she had better get ready. As she approached her boudoir, however, she was interrupted by a sharp couple of knocks on the door.

"Who could that be? It's 7:30 in the morning…" As she opened the door, she was shocked by the person she saw in front of her.


	3. Chapter 3

"Mom? What are you _doing _here?" Rory asked, nearly dropping her mug of coffee.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" a seemingly frazzled Lorelai asked.

"No, not at all, I was awake. I have class in half an hour. What is it? What's wrong?"

"Well, um…. I'm not exactly sure how to tell you this, but… um…. Luke and I are engaged." Lorelai rushed out.

"WHAT?! Oh my God, that's so great! Congratulations, Mom!" Rory shrieked.

"Really? So you're not mad that I didn't tell you sooner?"

"Not at all. This is SO great; I just knew this was going to happen!! Oh my gosh, ok, so, have you guys set a date or anything?" Rory asked impatiently.

"No, we haven't, it just happened last night, for crying out loud!"

"Then why are you here? You should be with Luke in Stars Hollow celebrating!"

"Oh, believe me, everyone in town probably knows already. I'm pretty sure Ms. Patty saw everything last night."

"Saw everything? What do you mean?" Rory asked.

"Well, everyone was at the Spring Festival, and it was just me and Luke in the diner. We were just talking, and then all of a sudden…"

"All of a sudden, what?" Rory questioned, now extremely impatient.

"Well, I don't know where it came from, but I just asked Luke to marry me."

"OH MY GOD, WHAT??" Rory screamed. "That's so… wow. I don't even know what to say…"

"That's pretty much how it all went. Oh, and he said yes, obviously, and we kissed, and it was great. I'm pretty sure that Ms. Patty saw that part, though."

"Who cares? You and Luke are FINALLY together! This is just _so_ great! How are you not bouncing off the walls right now?" Rory asked.

"Well, I guess that I was just waiting for your approval to be happy. But, now that you're happy, I can be too! Wanna go out to breakfast or something? I've been driving all night, and I'm starved." Lorelai stated as she stood, looking about the room distractedly.

"Well, I would, but I have class…" Rory said, depressed.

"Just skip it, come on, it's only one class," Lorelai said, using her puppy dog eyes.

"Ok, ok, fine."

"Yes!"

"Where do you want to go?"

"Hmm… I think I saw some random pancake house as I was driving down here. Want to go there?"

"Mom, we both know that no one makes pancakes as good as Luke."

"Well, yeah, but that's like, a 4 hour drive, and it'll take forever."

"Fine, fine, we'll go to this random pancake house. Where is it?"

"Just off of the highway, like, 15 miles away." Lorelai rushed out, now excited by the fact that she was going to get some food in her stomach. "Are you ready yet? Let's go."

"Yeah, just let me grab a coat…. Ok, I'm ready." Rory said, winded from the excitement.

"Awesome."

* * *

"Wow, those pancakes are pretty much my second favorites ever!" Lorelai stated. "But I feel really fat and gross now…"

"Mom, you ate like, 5 pancakes. That was amazing." Rory said in wonder. "Hey, do you realize that you'll probably get free food from Luke now, since you guys are _engaged_?"

"I know, right? I'm _way_ excited for that… He'll have to cook for me all the time… Muffins, doughnuts, burgers, fries, shakes…." Lorelai began to get lost in the vast array of options that were now in front of her.

"Mom. Mom. MOM!"

"Free coffee... Wait, what? Were you saying something?" her mother asked, finally coming out of her stupor.

"Just trying to get you out of that downward spiral…"

"Oh gee, thanks."

"Any time. Ok, so, this was really fun, but I do actually have a class that I have to get to, ok? I'm really glad that we got to hang out today, though, I've missed you!" Rory said, trying to hint that she really did need to go.

"Fine, leave me to my boring life in Stars Hollow, where nothing exciting happens…."

"Um, you are actually going to be the excitement today, Mom. Remember?" Rory asked, laughing.

"Oh… right…. Forgot about that…"

"I'm sure. Talk to you later, ok?" Rory said, searching for her keys.

"Alright. Goodbye my beautiful daughter, have a fantastic day and make good choices!" Lorelai sang loudly.

"Gee, thanks Mom. That _totally _just raised my cool factor."

"Any time. Bye!" Lorelai skipped off to her car, whistling happily after just humiliating her daughter.

Rory finally found her keys, and as she inserted them into the lock, found that the door was already unlocked.

* * *

"What the?" Rory whispered, freaked out. As she turned on the lights, she was, again, surprised by the person in front of her. "Logan? What are you doing here? We have dinner plans tonight, don't we? Wait, you're not canceling, are you? Oh my god, you're breaking up with me aren't y—"

"No, Ace. I'm not breaking up with you. I just wanted to surprise you, that's what I'm doing here. And yes, we do have dinner plans for tonight, which I am not canceling. I just needed to see you," he replied while pulling her into his arms.

"Oh, ok."

"Ok? That's it?"

"Well, if I had known you were coming, I would have cleaned up, been dressed better, had things sort of organized. But, you're here now, so…" she trailed off.

"So, let's make up for lost time…" he whispered in her ear suggestively as he began to kiss his way down her neck. The pair continued kissing for a few minutes, until Rory realized that she was late for her meeting. She pulled away from Logan.

"Ace, what are you doing?" he asked, hurt, and starting to become angry.

"I have a meeting with the newspaper staff. I just remembered it. I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'll see you at dinner, ok?" She quickly grabbed her things and ran out the door, shutting it behind her, and leaving a very angry-looking Logan behind her.

* * *

"Ok, everyone, so here's what's going on," Rory said authoritatively as she bustled into the room.

"You're late," Paris said, in a friendly but agitated way.

"Yes, Paris, I realize that. I just got a little held up, but I'm here now, ok?" Rory said breathlessly.

"Whatever."

"Thank you. Now, as I was saying, here's what's going on: we have a few new additions to the staff that I would like to inform you about. First, we have Randall, who will be our new Sports writer." Randall stood and nodded to everyone in acknowledgement. "Wonderful. Next, we have Leyla, who will be our new 'gossip columnist', in a way. She will be taking letters from readers, and responding to them. Ok?" Rory asked, daring anyone to challenge her. No one did. Leyla waved timidly, smiling. "Last, I have decided that I will be making Paris the new assistant editor. I know this may anger some of you, but it is my decision, and I think she will do the job justice. That is all, you may leave." Rory hurried out, wanting the meeting to end. Upon hearing the news of Paris, several employees groaned or shot her death glares: not many people respected Rory's decision. Paris, however, was ecstatic. As everyone was leaving, she ran up to Rory with a huge smile on her face, a rare occasion for her.

"Rory, thank you so much! I can't believe it. Well, actually, I can believe it, but I just wanted to say thank you for your decision, and I will proudly serve for you on this paper."

"Geez, Paris, it's not like you didn't deserve it." Rory mumbled, rubbing her fingers against her temples. She had had a long day. "I'll see you on Monday, alright? I have to get ready for dinner with Logan."

"Alright. Later, boss." Paris quickly left the room, knowing that Rory needed the space.

"Ok, now on to face Logan. This should be good…" Rory mumbled to herself. She gathered her belongings and headed back to her dorm room to get ready for her date, knowing that nothing could go well given the conversation she had had with him earlier in the day.

* * *

Looking through her clothing options, she decided to go with her black dress. She knew that Logan loved it on her, and it made her look like Audrey Hepburn in _Breakfast at Tiffany's_. Hopefully, this would ease his opinion of her, paired with some nice high heels and sterling silver accessories that he had given her. Pleased with her appearance, Rory headed to the restaurant, not looking forward to what lie ahead.

Rory saw Logan at their usual table and headed straight for him. He looked up at her semi-angrily, but stood up to pull her chair out nonetheless.

"Good evening, Rory," he said curtly as he sat down again.

"And good evening to you, Logan," she replied, trying to hide the fear in her voice. She knew that something was up: Logan _never_ called her Rory.

"Listen, Ace, there's something that I need to talk to you about," Logan said quietly, so that others around them couldn't hear.

"Ok," Rory replied, her voice shaking, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Well, as you know, I've recently received an invitation to move to England to write with one of their top newspapers there." Logan said all of this in an authoritative tone, one she wasn't used to hearing.

"Yes, I know…" Rory struggled to comprehend what he was talking about.

"Well, I was just going to ask…"

"Yes?" Rory had no idea where this was going, and it made her uncomfortable.

"Will you come with me to England?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Wh—What?" Rory managed to stutter after a few minutes of silence.

"Will you come with me to England, Rory?" Logan pleaded, staring her in the eyes.

"To… To _England_? With you? Now?"

"Yes. I love you, Ace, and I want you there with me." It was the first time he had ever said it, she realized. Logan Huntzberger had just told her that he loved her, and he hadn't even used her real name.

"Rory. My name is Rory," she stated, angrily.

"Huh?" Logan asked, confused at her response.

"My name is Rory, _not_ Ace. I hate it when you call me that."

"Umm, ok?" Logan was still confused, not really knowing where this was headed. Rory, however, knew exactly where it was headed.

"Why do you want me to come with you to England, Logan?" Rory fired at him. "Huh?"

"I just told you Ace… I mean, Rory. I love you, and I want you there with me."

"Is that it?"

"What do you mean, Rory? You aren't making much sense."

"You just want me to leave my whole life behind and come with you to England? Why should I?" Rory was finally beginning to realize her feelings for this particular relationship, and she was ready to do what she needed to do.

"Well, yeah." Logan stated, dazed.

"Well, that's not going to work for me, Logan."

"What do you mean, Rory?"

"You know what? No." she stated firmly.

"_No_?" Logan asked, his voice beginning to rise.

"That's right, you heard me, no. I don't want to go with you to England. I like it here, in America." Her voice was also beginning to rise, and people were beginning to stare.

"Rory, what's _wrong_ with you?" Logan yelled. "Why won't you come with me? Don't you love me?"

"'What's _wrong_ with me?' Are you serious?" Rory was angry now, and she had to end it. "You know what Logan? Nothing is wrong with me. I just realized that I don't need you anymore."

"You _what_?" Logan shouted.

"You heard me: _I don't need you anymore._ We're done." Rory firmly spat at him. As she said it, she stood up, left the restaurant, and didn't look back.

* * *

Rory burst into her room, filled with anger, but, surprisingly, not with sadness. She tried to cry, but couldn't. She just wasn't sad. She, Rory Gilmore, had just broken up with Logan Huntzberger, and she wasn't sad. She felt… _free._Happy, in fact. Like she needed to talk with someone. She dialed the number, not knowing if it belonged to the same person as it once had. It rang once. Twice. And then…

"Hello?" A sleepy voice grumbled.

Rory didn't know what to say. She wasn't expecting an answer. She had dialed countless times, but had never gotten an answer. Or, before the answer, she had hung up. But this, this she wasn't prepared for.

"_Hello_?" The voice asked again, becoming more agitated.

Still, she didn't answer.

"Hello?" Just as the call was about to end, she finally said something.

"Hi."

"Rory?"

"Um, yeah," she struggled with the words. She couldn't believe it still felt like this to talk to him.

"Um, hi."

"Hi."

"Why did you call, Rory?"

"Oh, um, I don't know. It was stupid. I… just… never mind. Bye."

"Wait, don't hang up the--"

But it was too late; she had already hung up the phone.

"What is _wrong_ with me? Why did I just do that?" She chastised herself. "I didn't need to-- I shouldn't have…. Oh my god, why did I do that?" She didn't know what had compelled her to do that; she could have called anyone. But why take that road again? Especially, considering that she had just broken up with her boyfriend? Rory didn't know what to do. She looked at the clock: 11:33.

"That seems like a decent time to go to bed," she murmured to herself. "Sure. I guess. I still can't believe I just did that…" As she was saying the words, she lied down on her bed, drifting off into the simpler dream world, the place where things were so much better for her.

* * *

_She couldn't believe it. She stared at herself in the mirror, and couldn't believe her eyes: she was wearing a wedding dress._

_"Oh, hun, you look beautiful."_

_She turned around to see her mother coming through the door, smiling and crying. Happy tears. "I never thought that I'd see the day, my daughter's getting married!"_

_"What?" Rory couldn't believe her ears. She was getting married? To whom?_

_"Yeah, hun. We've been planning it for months now. You're completely in love with the man you're about to spend the rest of your life with, and it's about to start. Are you ready?"_

_"Well, who's going to walk me down the aisle? Dad isn't here, so who's going to do it?"_

_"I was hoping I could," Luke said, walking through the door._

_"Oh, Luke," Rory said, tearing up. "I would love that."_

_"Great. Let's go, then!" Luke said, smiling._

_The music started. The doors opened, and Lorelai, Rory's maid-of-honor, began to walk down the aisle. The church was decorated beautifully, with cream-colored roses and a green satin theme emanating throughout the place. Exactly the way that Rory had imagined her wedding. As she began to walk forward, she looked up toward the altar. Cornflower blue met warm, coffee brown, and Rory smiled. She looked around and saw her friends: Lane, Sookie and Jackson, Paris. Everything was perfect. She reached the altar, and turned to face the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with. The pastor began to speak: "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"_

* * *

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Huh?" Rory mumbled sleepily. "What the—"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Ok, ok, I'm coming," she grumbled, looking at the clock. 3:17 a.m. _"Who the hell would be here at this time in the morning? What's going on?"_ She opened the door. Nothing could prepare her for what she saw. It couldn't be real. She must still be dreaming. She rubbed her eyes, pinched her arm. Nope, he was still there, staring at her.

"Jess?"


	5. Chapter 5

_6 hours earlier._

_Jess' point of view._

"God, it's been a long day," Jess sighed, sinking down on the worn-in leather couch next to his roommate, Paul. "_Thank God_ it's Friday, or I might have exploded at one of my students." Jess was a high-school English teacher, and had been for 2 years. He loved many authors, but sometimes, teaching their works to kids was enough to drive him insane.

"Me too, man. The restaurant had a _killer_ lunch rush today, and I am beat. I had to skip my break," Paul said, equally tired. Paul and Jess had been roommates for 3 years. They had met in the lobby of their current apartment complex, both looking for a room but not willing to spring for a single. They had decided to live together, temporarily, until something better came along. But, as it would happen, they ended up becoming friends, and had lived together ever since. Paul was the head chef of his own restaurant chain, _Food by Paul _(he hadn't had the smarts to think of a unique name for his restaurant, so he kept it simple: what he sold, and who made it). When it had first started, the measly little restaurant had been in a dingy, bad-lit room in the middle of nowhere, but had quickly blossomed into one of the most-visited restaurants in the entire United States. He now made enough money to pay his own rent for years, so he had been the one to offer to buy furniture for their loft.

"God. When did we become such losers, man?" Paul asked.

"What do you mean?" Jess responded, offended.

"We're sitting on our couch, in our loft, on a Friday night. We're both 23, for crying out loud, what are we doing cooped up in here? We should be out enjoying life!" Paul said, his idea gaining momentum as he spoke. "You know what? We are going out, I've just decided for us. That new club, _Twlilight_, just opened. I think we should go there!"

"Paul, we _both_ know that clubs aren't really what I do. Besides, it's only 6:30." Jess stated matter-of-factly, hoping that the subject would drop. It didn't.

"Aw, come on, bro! I know you want to do _something_ fun, you hate being cooped up in this stupid loft!" Paul hinted persuasively. But Jess wouldn't budge from his decision.

"No. I would be perfectly content just putting on some sweatpants, grabbing a beer, and reading a good book, to be quite honest with you. In fact, that's exactly what I plan to do," Jess said as he stood up, already thinking of the book he wanted to read. He knew exactly the book: _Oliver Twist_. It reminded him of _her_...

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

_Jess handed her the book she had been waiting for him to finish, and she leafed through it, amazed at the notes he had taken in the margins._

_"You said you didn't read much," Rory stated, still in awe._

_"Ah, what is 'much'?" he asked, walking away. "Good night, Rory."_

_"Good night, Dodger," she stated, also turning to walk away._

_"What?" Jess asked, confused._

_"Figure it out." Rory began to walk away._

_Jess thought, and it took him 2 seconds to come up with the answer: "Oliver Twist." he stated, proud of himself._

_Rory just nodded, and then walked away._

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

Yes, _Oliver Twist_ would be exactly the thing for him tonight. Jess left Paul on the couch, still bewildered, and headed to his room. He made a quick pit-stop at the kitchen and grabbed a beer, then proceeded to get ready for his quiet evening. He quickly took off his work clothes and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a black t-shirt. _Now he was comfortable._ Jess opened the weathered novel for the umpteenth time, and began to read, slowly drifting off into a world where life was less complicated, and words had different meaning. Kind of like his dreams... Jess took a swig of his beer, not wanting to think about the memories that began to fill his mind. He re-opened the book, and began to read again. Nothing could soothe his thoughts like Dickens. He once again entered the world of 18th-century England, and lost himself there for a couple of hours. However, as fate would have it, he fell asleep.

* * *

Jess was awakened by the sound of his phone ringing, loudly. It rang once, twice, and then:

"Hello?" he said groggily.

_No answer._

"_Hello_?" he asked again, growing impatient.

_Still no answer._

"Hello?" he asked one more time, about to hang up the phone.

_"Hi."_ He couldn't believe it. It couldn't be her, not after all this time. It was impossible.

"Rory?" he asked, hoping that this wasn't all a dream.

_"Um, yeah,"_ she answered. Jess couldn't believe it. He pinched himself, and it hurt. _"So this isn't a dream."_ he thought excitedly. He didn't know what to say, so he said the obvious answer.

"Um, hi." It seemed like such a stupid thing to say. _"God, I am such an **idiot**,_"he thought to himself. _"She's never going to want to talk to me again..."_

_"Hi."_ "_Wait a second, this can't be happening. She wouldn't call without a reason, that isn't like Rory. What's going on..."_ Jess thought, starting to grow worried.

"Why did you call, Rory?" He asked the question out of curiosity, really wanting to know. But, she took it the wrong way.

_"Oh, um, I don't know. It was stupid. I... just... never mind. Bye."_ Jess realized that it could be the last time that he would talk to her until 3 more years later, when she might decide to call again.

"Wait, don't hang up the--" But it was too late, she had already hung up the phone.

"Why did she just _do_ that? I thought I was over her, I was coping with everything fine. We were done. She didn't love me, she chose someone else. I ran away. I thought that I was over her. Wait, what am I saying, I _am_ over her. This is ridiculous. It was probably just a wrong number, she didn't mean to call me. Yeah, that's it."

_"I'm over her._ _I'm over her. I'm over her." _he thought to himself, willing his mind to comprehend the sentence. He said it aloud: "I'm over her. I'm over her. I'm over her. I'm over her. I'm over-- God, what am I saying? I'm **not** over her. I've always been in love with her. She has always been the one. I'm in love with her, for God's sake! But, what am I going to do? I need to see her."

And with that, Jess made a decision: he had to see Rory, had to see if she looked the same, if she was still as beautiful as she had always been, why she called him. He needed to know.

"_God, _I just need to _see_ her," he stated quietly. He went over to his closet, searching through until he found it: the one suitcase he owned. He yanked it out of the back of the closet and threw it open, he couldn't get everything in fast enough. He packed what he thought he would need: pajamas, jeans, a few t-shirts, comb, shaving cream, toothbrush, floss, toothpaste. When he had double checked the items in his suitcase and saw that everything was accounted for, he slammed it closed and headed toward the front door. But, Paul stopped him, awakened by his rampage throughout his room.

"Jess? What in the _hell_ do you think you are doing?" he asked, pissed off at being woken up without warning.

"Paul, I don't have time to explain to you. I have to go. _She needs me._" Jess said quickly, running out the door. He left in a rush, jumped in the car, and began to drive.

"Wait, who needs you?" Paul asked to the empty room and closed door. Confused, he fell back asleep.

* * *

Jess was driving like a madman, needing to get to her. He rushed down the highway, toward Yale, the way he knew so well. He had thought of going to visit her many times, but every time he was in front of the school, he hadn't known what to do, what to say, so he had just left. But now, a man on a mission, there was no turning back: he was going to see Rory. He looked at the clock: 1:45. "Ok, only one more hour to go..." he murmured, the emotions welling up inside him. His emotions were out of control. He felt nervousness and joy. Longing and fear. He wasn't quite sure what to do with himself, so he turned on the radio, knowing that he needed to be fully awake. As the music drifted throughout the car, Jess slowly started to awaken, knowing the task at hand. He turned up the volume: it was now his pump-up soundtrack, getting him psyched for his mission. He made the last turn... and he could see it: Yale University. He looked at the clock again: 3:13. He pulled up in front of her dorm, put his car in park, and ran to her front door. It was now or never. He checked his watch 3:17. He knocked three times.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

_No answer._ He needed her to answer, _now_.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Ok, ok, I'm coming," he heard her mumble. He listened to her footsteps approaching the door, knowing that any second now he would see her. The seconds passed like years.

"Come on, come on," he whispered, impatiently. And then she opened the door, and he could see her. The most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and he couldn't think of what to say. He just stared at her, dumbfounded. She was shocked, too, he could see it in her face. She rubbed her eyes, pinched herself. He simply stared at her, right in her eyes, the most glorious shade of blue he had ever seen. And then...

"Jess?" Her voice was absolutely magnificent, the phone call had not done her justice. He just stared, not knowing what to say. So, he did what he felt: he kissed her.


	6. Chapter 6

Rory didn't know what was happening. She had been dreaming of Jess, thinking about him after that stupid phone call, and suddenly, he was at her door. "This can't be happening, this HAS to be a dream..." she thought to herself as they looked at each other.

"Jess?" she asked, still not believing that this whole thing was real. He didn't say anything, he just looked at her. Rory was beginning to think that she had done something wrong, but what could she have done? All she did was say his name. And then, very suddenly, he was kissing her. Rory was baffled, she hadn't kissed him, or anyone for that matter, like this for years. It felt so good, so right, and she wasn't even sure how it had happened. Had he kissed her? Or had she kissed him? She was pretty sure that it was him that instigated the kiss, but her mind had become so hazy that she wasn't sure what to believe anymore. The kiss had a hidden urgency, passion, and desire that hadn't been inside either of the two for a long time. They kissed for a few more minutes until air began to become an issue.

"Wow," was all that Rory could think to say. "That was, um... unexpected."

"Yeah," Jess half-whispered, out of breath.

"Why are you here?" Rory questioned, curious. The words came slowly, because her mind was still hazy from their mini make-out session. There was no way that he was here to see her, that he had actually listened to her and come to see her. It wasn't possible.

"I had to see you." was all that Jess could say. His mind was also hazy, but things were slowly starting to come into perspective. This was his second (well, technically third) chance to tell her what he was feeling, and he wasn't going to let it slip away. However, his mouth couldn't seem to form the words he had been rehearsing for years, in the car, and in his dreams. He hadn't been expecting her to kiss him back. That wasn't part of his plan, just something that he had hoped might happen.

"But, I haven't seen you in 3 years, ever since you came to Yale the last time..." Rory trailed off, remembering...

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

_"Jess? What are you doing here?" she had asked._

_"Rory, I'm in love with you. I need you. Run away with me," he said quickly, out of breath from running to her door._

_"Jess, I..." she stopped, thinking of the possibilities. She could run away with Jess, live with him in Philadelphia, get married, and live happily ever after. She would very much like to do that. But, what was to keep him from running away again? He had run twice before when they had been together, both times without an explanation. She had tried to find him, tried to fathom why he could have left so suddenly, an it never made sense. And now, now he was asking her to run away with him? After 2 years of silence? Why should she?_

_"Rory, please," he pleaded._

_"Jess, I... I..." she stammered, not knowing what to say. Him showing up out of the blue wasn't something she had thought could even happen, and she certainly hadn't thought that he would declare his love to her. It was all so confusing._

_"Listen, I know that I've run away in the past. I know that you have no reason to trust me. But, you need to know that those two times I ran away, I was young, naive, and unsure of myself. I'm older now, and--"_

_"Not that much older, Jess. Only two years. Why should I believe you?" she asked incredulously._

_"Because, I've changed. I know how to live my life now, and I know that to live my life, I need to live it with you. Forever." He put the most emphasis on the last word as he took a step closer to her._

_"But Jess, it's not that easy! You can't just show up, unannounced, and not expect me to question you. It doesn't work that way," Rory said, distracted by the closeness and the smell of him. He kept getting closer and closer, and she knew that they would soon kiss. She couldn't let that happen, or she knew that she would run away with him in a heartbeat. She stepped back, turning her head just as he was about to kiss her._

_"Jess, I can't run away with you."_

_"Why not?" he asked, hurt by the fact that she wouldn't let him kiss her, and the fact that she had just rejected his feelings, throwing them back in his face._

_"I just started college. I have to get my life on track. This isn't the right time for this to be happening, I'm sorry."_

_"So am I, Rory. So am I." he said, tears in his eyes. He ran out the door, knowing that this was a possible scenario. His pride had been hurt, and he didn't want to let her see it._

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

"The last time you were at Yale, Jess, things were... complicated, to say the least." Rory said aloud, still lost in her memory. "You told me that you wanted me to run away with you. Is that what you're doing here now?"

"Well, I... uh..." Jess stammered. This was not the turn that he was expecting this conversation to take. He could see that things were going downhill fast, and he had to try and stop it. But, he couldn't think of what to say, so he just stood there, silent, and let Rory continue.

"If that's what you're here to do, then, my answer to you would be: I don't know if I want to run away with you, Jess." she answered, taken aback by her own honesty.

"What?" Jess responded, not believing what he had just heard.

"Well, the last time you came here, I was a freshman, and I had just started to learn who I was. You and I were both 19, and there was no way that I was ready to run away with you and start a life." Rory stated. Jess tried to cut in, but Rory stopped him. "No, just let me get this out, please. Back then, things were really complicated, and I knew that I wasn't ready for that. That's why I said no. It's not that I didn't care about you, because I did."

Jess cringed at her use of the past tense.

"So, what I'm trying to say to you is... Well... I think that maybe we should just try to be... God, I don't even know what I want us to be." Rory muttered quietly.

"Well," Jess answered, thinking quickly, "I think that we should try to be us, again, Rory. We could just hang out, spend time together, stuff that we used to do. There don't have to be any strings, because we both obviously have separate lives to take care of: me with my teaching, and you with your school. Yeah, that's what I think we should be. What do you think?" he asked, hopeful.

"I think... I think that would be great." Rory answered with a smile, happy with their situation. She had missed Jess so much over the years that getting to re-know him sounded like a good idea. And plus, as soon as she was done with school, they could hang out until late, just like they used to. Yes, she was very happy with this arrangement: things were so much less complicated. However, there was the fact that she was falling for him again. She could tell: she had called him just to hear his voice (even if it would have ended up being on his machine), and that kiss made her mind so hazy that she couldn't see, let alone think straight. So, this friends arrangement would be difficult, but that was a risk that she was willing to take. After all, she needed him.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked, excited at the new turn her life had just taken.

"Sure," he replied smoothly, equally excited.

They began to talk.

* * *

The two stayed up for the rest of the night, just talking and laughing. They discussed their lives, what had happened to them in the past 3 years, everything. They talked about Luke and Lorelai's wedding, and how happy and relieved they both were that the two had finally gotten together. They talked about new books they had read, new authors they had discovered. They also talked about old author's, and had one of their famous argument-discussions about Hemingway, and what they each thought of him. Rory still thought him a chauvinist, sexist pig, and Jess still praised him as one of the best authors of all time. Eventually, they were getting tired, as it was near 6:30 in the morning. So, Rory fell asleep: Jess had been laying on her bed for a while now, and she had curled up beside him. As she began to shiver, Jess brought her closer to him and wrapped her in his arms, not able to get enough of her. He wasn't tired, there was no way he could sleep. He smelled her hair, the familiar scent of vanilla and gardenia, the scent he had dreamed about for years. He just looked at her, watching the way her mouth curved up into a slight smile on the right side, they evenness of her breathing. He looked around the dorm room, now noticing for the first time that everything was packed up in boxes. Her desk, as always, was in disarray, and he laughed at the pictures she had on her wall above it: pictures of her mother, Lane, Luke, a cup of coffee from Luke's (_"She has a serious caffeine problem,"_ he thought to himself, laughing), pictures of random things in Stars Hollow, and various clippings from articles she had written. The room was the exact image of Rory, and Jess loved it. He noticed, however, that the sun was starting to appear through the curtains, and he knew that this would stir Rory from her peaceful slumber. He carefully got up, so as not to stir her, and closed the curtains, enveloping the room in darkness. Her alarm went off, and he ran to the clock and turned it off immediately, looking at Rory. She barely stirred. He breathed a sigh of relief, and went back to the bed, again laying behind her. As he took a deep breath, he finally began to feel the tiredness set in. He knew that this was the way it was supposed to be, that he could spend the rest of his life this way. He realized that he had begun to fall in love with her all over again: her little quirks like putting her hair behind her ear when she was nervous, her dry humor, her ability to challenge his mind, and her confidence.

"God, I've always loved that confidence,"he whispered. It was what had attracted her to him in the first place. He closed his eyes, knowing that sleep was coming soon. And, for the first time in a long time, he was happy. He fell asleep with Rory in his arms, savoring the sensation and taking in the nostalgia that came with the feeling. He sighed, knowing that he was a goner. She had sucked him in again, and he didn't even care. After all, he needed her.


	7. Chapter 7

Rory awoke to a pitch black room, wrapped in Jess' arms. She looked over his shoulder and looked at the clock: 6:15 p.m. "Geez, I've been out for awhile," she murmured quietly. She had a slight panic attack when she realized that she had missed her classes, but then remembered that it was Saturday. She let out a relieved sigh. She lied back down on the bed, still wrapped in Jess' arms. The arms that she had missed for years. She nestled closer to him, and he automatically pulled her in tighter, still asleep. She breathed in the scent of him: pen ink, after-shave, and leather. "_God, he still smells fantastic." _Rory thought to herself, smiling. She wondered if he had brought his leather jacket, her favorite article of clothing that he owned. She used to love wearing it late at night when the two would have their infamous 'author debates': it was huge on her, and she loved it. Rory smiled to herself, and turned around to face Jess, still in his arms. She watched him sleep, feeling a slight sense of nostalgia. She looked at his face, noticing the way his eyebrows were furrowed, his hair mussed. He had a slight frown on his face, the one he wore when he was sleeping, thinking, and reading. Rory lied there for at least 10 minutes, content with being in his arms. She looked around, and noticed that it was beginning to get dark again. Slowly, regretfully, she pulled away from Jess' grasp, knowing that she had to clean up the room to at least make it look semi-presentable. She also had to make herself look presentable: she couldn't let him see her with after-sleep hair, looking all grungy. However, when she left his arms, Jess opened his eyes.

"Hey." he murmured sleepily. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she replied, startled at his sudden, instantaneous response. She wondered how long he had been awake. "I just need to clean up the room, it looks messy. Also, I figured I was going to order some food. What sounds good to you?"

"Rory, relax, the room is fine. Trust me, it's _much_ cleaner than my apartment." Jess replied, confused. The room was as clean a room as he had ever seen. "As far as food goes, I think that pizza or Chinese would be good."

"Chinese it is, then." Rory replied, getting off the bed and beginning to organize the already organized dorm. She searched the room for her phone and a takeout menu, not daring to look at Jess. She didn't know why, but his being in her dorm made her feel nervous, like her mother was going to walk in on them doing something bad. She glanced at him for a brief moment: he smiled. "_Damn it, why does he have to look so sexy when he smiles?"_ she thought to herself. Her sudden realization made her blush, and Jess cocked his head in interest.

"Why are you blushing?" he asked, a slow smirk starting to form on his face.

"What? I'm not blushing..." Rory stammered, wanting to drop the subject. "It's just... really hot in here, and I was feeling a little flushed."

"Ok," Jess replied, not believing her. "Hey, why did you wake me up? I haven't slept that well in years." As soon as he said it, he wished he could take it back. He knew the last time he had really slept well was back when he was 17, and he and Rory had fallen asleep on the bridge after eating a picnic that Jess had prepared. Again, he had had her in his arms, and the two had fallen asleep with no cares in the world. Until they were found the next morning by a confused Luke and Lorelai. Jess smiled at the memory.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to. I was just really hungry, and needed to clean and get ready." Rory replied hastily, dialing the number for the takeout.

"Well, that's still no excuse. You should know better than anyone that when a person is happily sleeping, you should _never_ wake them up." Jess teased.

"Hey, that was one time. And I didn't mean to slap you, you scared me." Rory answered after hanging up the phone.

"Whatever, Gilmore," he said, laughing. "So, now that I'm awake, what do you wanna do?"

"Well, the takeout should be here in about 15 minutes, so..." Rory trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"We could... watch a movie. Or, talk and argue some more. Or read, or--" Jess counted off the options on his fingers. He thought of a few more 'mature' options, but didn't say them aloud. He knew that (for the time being) they were friends, and he didn't want to mess that up.

"Ooh, a movie sounds great!" Rory said, knowing exactly the movie she would choose.

"Ok, what do you want to watch?" Jess asked, his curiosity piqued by her sudden interest. But, she didn't hear him. She was already bustling around the room, looking through boxes for the movie that would make all of the awkwardness go away between the two of them. She finally found it, and held it out in front of herself eagerly, smiling at her prize.

"_Almost Famous_?" Jess asked, not believing that she could remember it. It was his favorite movie of all time, and the first time they had talked about movies, he had automatically listed it as his favorite. Rory listed off several, but couldn't believe that a guy like him (to which he was offended, but only playfully) could like a movie like _Almost Famous_. Jess smiled his biggest smile in years, the one that he only used for Rory. It still made her heart flutter, and she turned around quickly so he wouldn't see her blush (_again_). She popped the movie into the DVD player, and turned around to see that her couch had at least 9 boxes of stuff on top of it.

"Hey Jess?" she asked sweetly, turning on the Gilmore Puppy Dog Eyes. "Could you maybe, ya know, move those boxes off the couch for me?"

"Um, no." he replied.

"Come on, please?" she said, turning the Puppy Dog Eyes on full-blast. She knew he would cave any second now. 5...4...3...2...1...

"Ok, fine," Jess said angrily, mad that she had once again gotten her way by begging him with the Puppy Dog Eyes. "_Those beautiful, perfect eyes_," he thought, looking away from her. "_Just friends. Just friends. Just friends," _he repeated to himself over and over.

* * *

As Jess was moving the boxes, the takeout arrived: 4 bags of it. Rory took it from the delivery man, tipping him as he looked at her incredulously. He must've thought that this food was all for her, because he couldn't see Jess. He walked away, shocked. As Rory shut the door, Jess had just finished lifting the last box and placing it against a wall with the others. That's when he saw the food.

"Holy crap, Ror, how much did you _order_?"

"You know, just the stuff that I like. Egg rolls, won-tons, chow-mein. Standard stuff." Rory replied innocently.

"There is _no way_ that egg rolls, won-tons, and chow-mein took up four bags." Jess retorted, still dumbfounded.

"Well, I didn't know what I was in the mood for. And I didn't know what you liked, so I ordered a little bit of everything." Rory stated. But, she _did_ remember what he liked: kung-pao chicken. That's why she had ordered extra.

The two devoured the food, Rory eating more than Jess (as always). When Jess saw that Rory had ordered extra kung-pao chicken, he smiled to himself. "_So she _did_ remember." _He ate every bit of it, and by the end of the meal, he felt like he had gained at least 5 pounds. Rory, however, just kept on eating. He watched her, amused.

"It still amazes me that in that little, tiny body you can still eat all of that food and gain no weight. It's amazing. I think you should have an act in the circus," he teased her, knowing that she hated when he teased her about her eating habits.

"Shut up, I payed for all of this food." Rory replied, semi-offended.

"Fine, fine." The two locked eyes and stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, neither knowing what to do. Rory looked away first, embarrassed by the intensity of his gaze. "_Just friends. Just friends. Just friends."_ she repeated over and over in her head.

"So, um... should we start the movie?" she asked nervously, needing a distraction.

"Sure," Jess replied, his voice breaking. He coughed, trying to hide his nervousness. Rory put the movie in, and settled back down on the couch. The two sat awkwardly: Rory on one side of the couch, Jess on the other. However, as the movie progressed, the two both started moving slowly toward the center of the couch, so that about halfway through the movie, Jess and Rory were sitting rather cozily next to each other. As Rory's eyelids began to droop, she dropped her head onto Jess' shoulder. He glanced down at her, knowing that she never was one to stay up late. She fell asleep 5 minutes later. Knowing that there was absolutely no way that he would be able to focus on the movie, Jess slowly pushed Rory off of him. She stirred, but immediately fell back asleep. He moved the hair out of her face, laughing quietly when her nose twitched. He cleaned up all of the takeout, making sure that the room appeared as spotless as it had been before their feast. Satisfied, he turned off the T.V., taking out the movie and putting it back in the case. When he finally turned around to face Rory, he smiled. He loved it when she slept. She was beautiful. Then again, she was always beautiful in his eyes, no matter how she was acting, what she was wearing: all the time. And she always would be. He picked her up slowly, marveling at how light she was. He carried her over to the bed and covered her with the comforter. After she was settled, he lied down behind her, taking her into his arms again. He sighed contentedly, a smile spreading across his face. He fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

_Rory sat in the kitchen early in the morning, sipping coffee. It was a beautiful morning: the sun had just started to rise, and the colors spread across the sky. Pink, orange, blood red: Rory loved them all. She was so focused on the sunrise that she didn't hear the footsteps approaching behind her._

_"Hey, babe," Jess greeted her, kissing her lovingly on the mouth._

_"Hey, yourself," Rory replied, deepening the kiss. "Why are you up? I thought you didn't have to go into work until later this afternoon."_

_"I don't. But, how could you expect me to sleep today?" he asked, knowing that she thought he had forgotten the importance of this day._

_"Well, you usually sleep like a log, and I can hardly ever wake you up," she teased._

_"Funny," he replied, smiling._

_"I like to think so," she said, returning his tone and matching his smile._

_"Ok. Close your eyes," Jess said suddenly, after about 5 minutes of comfortable silence._

_"What? Why?" Rory asked excitedly._

_"Because I said so. Now do it." Jess said, hastily._

_"Ok, ok. They're closed. Now what?" Rory impatiently responded._

_"Hold on a sec." Jess left Rory alone in the kitchen, and she sat there awkwardly for a few seconds. "Don't open!" she heard him shout from somewhere deep in the house. She heard him come down the stairs, but slower this time. She heard him place something on the table. _

_"Open your eyes, Ror." Jess said quietly. Rory couldn't believe what she saw in front of her. She turned to him, a dazzling smile across her face._

_"Jess, I love it." she whispered, teary-eyed. _

_"You do?" he asked nervously._

_"Of course I do. How could I not?" Rory stood up and turned to Jess, giving him a peck on the lips. She started to pull away, but Jess knew he wasn't finished. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. As they stared at each other, Jess pulled her in for a passion-filled kiss. She kissed him back, matching his passion, and at that he smiled. She loved when he kissed her like that. As the kiss ended, the two didn't pull away from each other. Jess simply held her in his arms, happy for the moment they were spending together. He turned to look at his gift to her on the table and smiled again, knowing that she hadn't been expecting it. He had gathered all of the love letters that he had written to her throughout the years but never sent, and placed them all in a book. He had been really nervous about the overall outcome, worried that she wouldn't like it. She obviously did, however. He felt Rory move in his arms. He looked down at her._

_"I love you," she murmured._

_"I love you, too," he said. "Happy anniversary, Rory."_

Rory awoke, startled by her dream. "Oh, _crap," _she said aloud. "_That _wasn't supposed to happen."


	8. Chapter 8

**Jess' POV**

Jess awoke from his slumber and saw Rory's tiny body snuggled into his chest. He sighed, watching her sleep. He knew that he needed to get up. He carefully untangled himself from her, not wanting to wake her. He went over to his bag and put on a black t-shirt, and as he did so, looked at her sleeping. He had never seen her look so beautiful, he thought. The two of them had been living together for three weeks now, and their whole 'friends' situation was slowly starting to drive him up a wall. He was getting frustrated because of their situation, and Rory was getting frustrated because she was about to graduate in a little over a month. She still didn't feel like she had everything done, even though Jess had seen her go through everything that she needed at least four times. He ran his hand through his unruly hair roughly, and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Damn it, I shouldn't be thinking about her this way!" he whisper-yelled. "We're just friends, and I should be happy that she even agreed to that arrangement. This whole situation pisses me off, but the least that I can do is deal with it, for her sake." Rory sighed quietly, and Jess looked at her, melting at the sight. It was then that he realized what important event was happening that upcoming Saturday: Luke and Lorelai's wedding. He decided that he had better call Luke, considering the two of them hadn't spoken in months. He walked over to the coffee table and picked up his phone. He then went into the hallway, not wanting to disturb Rory, but then realized that other people would probably be sleeping. He went out to his car and got in, dialing the familiar number.

_"Hello?"_ Luke's gruff voice answered.

"Hey, Luke. It's Jess."

_"Hey, Jess! How have you been? It feels like we haven't talked in forever!"_ Luke shouted, his tiredness now gone.

"I've been pretty good. Oh, by the way, I guess congratulations are in order?" Jess teased.

_"__What? Oh, um, yeah. Thanks." _Luke answered quickly. He had never been one for sentimental moments. _"About that, I actually have a question to ask you."_

"Ok, shoot." Jess said, not knowing what Luke could possibly have to ask him.

_"Well, I was uh... wondering if uh... you would... be my... best man?"_ Luke rushed out quickly, nervously. Jess' jaw dropped. He hadn't been expecting that question, not at all. The fact that Luke wanted him to be the best man of his wedding was... incredible, and Jess didn't know what to say. Jess was lost in thought for about 5 minutes. _"Jess?"_ Luke asked impatiently.

"Huh?" Jess asked, coming out of his stupor.

_"Will you be my best man?"_

"Of course I will, Luke. I'd be honored to." Jess said, smiling.

_"Really? That's great! You just made my whole week so much easier,"_ Luke said. By the tone of his voice, Jess could tell that he was smiling.

"What are you talking about, Luke? You've been waiting to marry Lorelai forever! You finally have the woman of your dreams, and you're getting married on Saturday. Just calm down, everything will be fine." Jess soothed.

_"Yeah, I know."_ Luke said. _"Why did you call, Jess?"_

Now it was Jess' turn to stammer. "Well, I uh... had a... uh... question that I had to um... ask you." He said, nervousness creeping into his voice.

_"Ok, what is it?"_ Luke asked curiously.

"Well, Rory and I have been living together for 3 weeks, and we're on the 'just friends' level right now, and I was wondering if you had any idea how I could change that. Subtly." Jess hurried out.

_"What?! You've been living with Rory for three weeks?!"_ Luke yelled.

"Uh, yeah."

_"Jess, how can you be doing this, again? And why am I just hearing about it now?"_

"Luke, the truth is, I didn't know how to tell you. But, I'm telling you now. So, can you help me?" Jess asked hopefully.

_"Ok. So, you're on the 'just friends' level, but you want to change that..."_ Luke thought aloud. About two minutes later, he came to the perfect solution. _"I know, why don't you just ask her to the wedding?"_

"Ask her to the-- Luke, you're a genius!" Jess shouted happily.

_"I know, that's what I'm here for."_ Luke answered. _"Ok, now that we have that whole situation settled, can I tell you something?"_

"Sure, Luke, go ahead."

_"Ok, it's more like two things. Number one: the rehearsal dinner is this Friday night, and you're going.__"_ Luke said, the tone of his voice implying that his mind wouldn't be changed on the subject.

"Aw, Luke, come on. Do I have to make a speech?"

_"Yes, you do. And it's settled, you're coming, so don't even try to talk me out of it. Number two: be careful, Jess. With Rory. I know how things have been between the two of you in the past, but you just need to realize that if you want to make it right, take it slower this time, ok?" Luke said, sleepiness apparent with each word._

"Yeah, Luke. I promise I'll be careful this time. This time it's... different." Jess stated.

_"Alright, then. I'm going to sleep now, ok?"_

"Ok."

_"Good night, Jess."_

"Good night, Luke." And with that, the phone call ended. Jess hopped out of his car, smiling brilliantly. He now had the perfect solution to his 'Rory situation', asking her to the wedding. He walked happily back to Rory's dorm, and checked his phone for the time: 4:15. _"Ok, that means that I can get in a few more hours of sleep..."_ he thought to himself. He opened the door, and saw Rory lying there, breathing quietly. He took off his shoes and his shirt, and lied back down on the bed behind her. He noticed that she was shivering. He pulled her to him, and she automatically snuggled into him. He marveled at how she was such a perfect fit. He smiled, and closed his eyes, willing sleep to come. He knew it wouldn't. He sighed again, and got up, deciding that he would read and make come coffee.

As he was reading, Jess realized that he must look absolutely disgusting. He got up and walked over to the bathroom, looking at his appearance in the mirror. His hair was a tangled, unruly mess, he had horrible stubble, and he looked as tired as he felt. He decided to take a shower. He undressed, turned on the water, and stepped in, glad for the distraction. He hadn't gotten much reading done, because the tiniest movement or sound from Rory had torn his eyes away from his book. He hadn't been able to focus, no matter how hard he tried.

"Damn, what is this girl _doing_ to me?" he asked to no one in particular.

* * *

Rory awoke, startled by her dream. "Oh,_crap_," she said aloud. "_That_ wasn't supposed to happen." It was then that she realized that the pair of arms that had become her personal heater for the past three weeks were not around her as they usually were. However, she then heard the sound of the shower running and put two and two together. She sat up and looked at the clock: 7:15. She thought about her mother, remembering that the wedding was this Saturday. Rory knew that she should probably call her mother, so she picked up her phone and dialed the too-familiar number, realizing that her mother would just probably have woken up.

_"Hello?" _her mother answered, too cheery.

"Hi, Mom." Rory said, cautious.

_"Hello, beautiful daughter of mine! How are you?"_

"I'm fine. Mom, are you ok? You're unusually cheery for being, well, you." Rory said, still creeped out.

_"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. I figured that since you were calling me, and we haven't talked in what seems like _forever_, that I would answer the phone in a tone that I don't usually use, which would will you to talk to me!" _Lorelai said quickly, pleased with her diabolical plan.

"Nice plan, Mom. So, are you excited for Saturday?"

_"You know what? I really am."_ Lorelai answered honestly. _"I actually have a question to ask you about the wedding."_

"Ok... shoot." Rory said, confused.

_"Would you be my maid of honor?" _Rory was shocked. She hadn't been expecting that question at all. _"Rory? Are you there?"_

"What? Oh, yes, Mom, I'm here."

_"So, will you?" _Lorelai asked nervously.

"Of course I will, Mom! I'd love to be your maid of honor!" Rory said, smiling.

_"Great! That just made this whole thing come together. I picked my maid of honor, Luke picked his best man... Now everything is done!" _Lorelai said excitedly. _"But, you and I both know that's not the reason you really called me, Rory, to ask about the wedding. Why did you call?"_

"Mom, there's something that I have to tell you." Rory said, the nervousness creeping into her voice.

_"Ok, what is it? Oh my God, you're not pregnant, are you?"_

"No, Mom, I'm not pregnant." Rory said, glad that that wasn't the reason she was calling.

_"Ok, then what?"_ Lorelai asked impatiently.

"Ok, so... Jess and I have been living together for 3 weeks, and we're on the 'just friends' level right now, but I think I want more than that. And I know how you feel about him, so I didn't know how to tell you. But yeah, now you know, I guess." Rory rushed out. After saying it, she felt relieved.

Lorelai laughed on the other end of the phone. _"I'm sorry, did you just say that you've been living with Jess for three weeks?"_ she asked, still laughing.

"Uh, yeah." Rory replied, confused.

_"Rory, are you serious? Why am I just hearing about this right now?!" _Lorelai shouted.

"Yes, I'm serious. And, I don't know. I wanted to tell you, but it never seemed like the right time. I'm telling you now, though." Rory said, worried.

_"Rory, you know how I feel about him."_

"Yeah, Mom, I know how you feel about him. I don't expect you to understand our situation, because even I don't understand it sometimes. The easiest way to explain it would be..." Rory trailed off.

_"Would be... what?" _Lorelai asked, waiting for any sort of answer that could change her mind. She found it unlikely that Rory could change her train of thought on Jess. Lorelai didn't like Jess because the first time he had come to her house, she had caught him with a beer, and he had snapped at her. After Rory and Jess had started dating (the first time), Lorelai tried to get over her hatred of the kid because he had broken up Rory and Dean. Then he had left, and she had had to console Rory. When he had returned at Sookie's wedding, Rory had kissed him (Lorelai had to learn about this at a later point in time, Rory had told her during the ceremony), and then the two were back together, _again._ Then he had left, _again._ And she hadn't heard about him since. So, her mind was pretty made up.

"Ok, Mom. You know how you feel about Luke?" Rory asked.

_"Yeah." _Lorelai answered, confused at the way this conversation was turning.

"Well, wouldn't you want me to have someone that I feel about that way? And someone that feels that way about me?" Rory asked, knowing she had won this battle.

_"Yeah." _Lorelai said after a pause. She knew Rory was right: there was nothing in her power that she could do to change this.

"Well, that's how Jess makes me feel. And that's how I feel about him. Do you get it?" Rory asked, nervous.

_"Yeah."_

"So, are you going to support me? Support us?" Rory asked, quietly. She had just heard the shower stop, so she knew that she needed to keep her answers secretive.

_"Here's the deal, Ror. You know how I feel about him. But, if you think that he's changed, and that he'll be good for you now, then I can try to support this 'relationship', or whatever it is." Lorelai said._

"Oh my gosh, Mom, thanks!" Rory squealed. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

_"Sure. What were you saying before? That you want to take it to the 'next level' or something?" Lorelai asked, remembering._

"Um, yeah. But I'm not really sure how to do that." Rory said.

_"Well, I think that if you want to make something happen, then _you _have to make the first move. I know it's not what you want to hear, but I think it's what you should do." _Lorelai said, thinking back to when she had taken that exact approach with Luke.

"Ok, Mom. That sounds... reasonable, I guess. We'll just have to see how everything goes." Rory said. Just as she finished her sentence, Jess came out of the bathroom. And all he was wearing was a towel, wrapped around his waist. He couldn't see her, so Rory didn't have to worry about being careful not to check him out. She stared at him: his perfectly defined six pack, his lightly chiseled arms, his strong back. He ran his hands through his hair, and the sight sent chills down Rory's spine. She shivered. She didn't even realize that Lorelai had been talking to her for the past two minutes.

_"... and then I decided that it would be perfect if we just did a marble cake. So, the first and third tiers are chocolate, and the second and fourth tiers are vanilla. I'm so excited for this cake. Rory?" _Lorelai asked, just realizing that her daughter hadn't been paying any attention. "_Rory? Rory? EARTH TO RORY?!" _Lorelai shouted into the phone.

"Huh?" Rory asked, coming out of her trance. Jess turned around at the sound of her voice, and Rory immediately snapped her attention to the wall in front of her, blushing furiously. "What were you saying, Mom?"

_"I was telling you about the fabulous cake that Sookie is making for my wedding."_ Lorelai said, irritated.

"Oh, right, your cake. Uh huh..." Rory stammered, trying to pretend like she hadn't just been checking out Jess.

_"Never mind, Ror, you're obviously off in another world. Ok, two last details that I have to tell you about. Number one: the rehearsal dinner is this Friday, and you're coming." _Lorelai said in an authoritative tone.

"Ok, fine." Rory said. "And number two?"

_"Number two: be careful, Rory. With Jess. I know how things have been between the two of you in the past, but you just need to realize that if you want to make it right, take it slower this time, ok?" _Lorelai said.

"Ok, Mom, I promise I'll be careful. And plus, it's different this time." Rory said, as Jess looked at her with a million questions written on his face.

_"Uh oh, I have to go, Luke's calling me." _Lorelai stated, trying to nicely end the conversation.

"Ok, Mom."

_"Ok. See you on Friday?"_

"Yup, see you then. Love you, Mom." Rory said, relieved that she had finally gotten everything out in the open.

_"Love you too, Ror. Bye!" _Lorelai said, hanging up the phone.

"Bye." Rory said. As soon as her phone call ended, she looked back to where Jess had been standing, and noticed that he was no longer there. She sighed in frustration. "Damn, what is this boy _doing _to me?" she said quietly, so he wouldn't hear.

* * *

Jess hadn't been expecting Rory to be awake when he got out of the shower. He hadn't even noticed she was sitting there until she had finally said something. He knew that he shouldn't interrupt her conversation, since she was on the phone with her mom, so he had gone back into the bathroom to shave. He looked like a caveman with all of the hair on his face. He shaved slowly, still thinking of a way to ask Rory to the wedding. As he was shaving, he figured that it would probably be best if he just asked her with no build-up. Plain, simple, and to the point: just like him. He finished shaving and wiped off the remaining shaving cream on his face. He brushed his teeth, put on some after shave, and combed out his tangled hair. Satisfied with his appearance, he put on the boxers, jeans, and t-shirt (black, of course) that he had brought with him to the bathroom. He scrutinized his appearance once more, and left the bathroom, coming out just in time to see Rory going for the coffee that he had made earlier that morning.

"Good morning," he said, nervously.

"Good morning, yourself," Rory said, confidently. Jess had always envied that confidence: he wished he had it right now. "You're up early." She added, not wanting an awkward silence to build.

"Yeah, I called Luke this morning, and after that, I couldn't really go back to sleep." Jess said quickly.

"Oh." Rory murmured quietly, not knowing what else to say.

After about 5 minutes of awkward silence, Jess decided that it was now or never. "Hey Rory?" he said, his voice cracking slightly.

"Yes?" she said, finally glancing at him with her beautiful, azure eyes.

"Would you...?" Jess trailed off, suddenly much more nervous than he had ever been in front of her.

"'Would I', what?" Rory asked, curiously.

"Would you like to go out to breakfast?" Jess said. It wasn't exactly the plan that he had been hoping for, but at least after he had eaten he would have some food to calm his nerves.

"Sure!" Rory said, too excited. She automatically subdued her tone. "I mean, sure, where do you want to go?"

"You choose." Jess replied, a slow, calmer smile starting to grace his features.

"Ok... Al's Pancake House it is." Rory said, standing up. "Just let me get ready really fast, it should only take about 10 minutes."

"That's fine, I can wait," Jess said, happy. He walked over to the couch that she had been occupying 10 seconds earlier and sat down. "I'll just channel surf."

"Ok." Rory said quickly, suddenly nervous. This was like a third 'first date' for them, in her mind, and she had to look perfect. She rushed over to her closet, pulling out her favorite pair of jeans, a white tank top, and a dark blue hoodie, one that matched her eyes. She picked up her black Converse, and took everything to the bathroom, practically running. She shut the door quickly and turned on the water, undressing in a flash. She stepped in, quickly washed her face, body, and hair. Five minutes later, she was done showering, and had already put on her make-up. As she reached for her hair dryer, she saw Jess' after shave on the sink, next to her perfume. She picked it up and smelled it, then put it back down next to her perfume, which she put on. She dried her hair in two minutes, and dressed quickly. She looked over her overall appearance in the mirror: _"Yeah, this looks good," _she thought to herself. She applied one last layer of lip gloss, and then left the bathroom.

When Jess heard the bathroom door open, he turned. He hadn't found anything that good on t.v., so he had been reading his Hemingway novel that he brought with him. As soon as he saw her, his eyes turned a shade darker. He thought that she looked absolutely beautiful: the jeans fit her perfectly, hugging each of her curves. The hoodie brought out the blue in her eyes, making them appear even more prominent than usual. He stood up quickly, knowing that if he didn't busy himself he'd stare at her forever.

"Ready to go?" Rory asked, frazzled by the way he had been looking at her.

"Yeah," Jess breathed. "We can take my car, but you'll have to tell me where this place is."

"Ok, no problem." Rory said more confidently than she felt, smiling.

They left the room and got in the car, neither saying much, not wanting to look at each other. Jess turned on the radio, flipping through the stations quickly. Rory smiled at the gesture, knowing that he did it when he was nervous. She reached out and touched his hand, trying to calm him. Both of them tried to ignore the electric current that ran through their bodies as soon as they touched. _"This is going to be a long ride,"_ Jess thought to himself as he turned onto the highway.


	9. Chapter 9

As Rory sat across the table from Jess eating her pancakes, she was thinking. _"This is definitely the most awkward amount of time that I have spent with Jess _ever._ I wonder what's going on in that head of his..."_ She pondered the options as she continued to chew, noticing that he hadn't looked directly at her since they had left the dorm. The car ride had been so silent that Rory had had to turn on the radio to give herself something to do. She cut another bite off the pancake and looked up at Jess: no reaction. She bit down loudly: no reaction. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Ok, Jess, what's going on?" she asked, irritated.

Jess hadn't really been paying attention. He had been looking out the window, willing some inspiration to come. There was no simple way to ask Rory to the wedding; the idea had seemed plausible and brilliant at the time, but now, there was no way Jess could go through with it.

"Jess? _Hello_? Earth to Jess??" Rory said, waving her hand in front of his face. He snapped out of his trance.

"Huh?" Jess said, finally looking her in the face.

"What's going on?"

"What do you mean, 'what's going on'?" Jess was hoping that she wouldn't pick up on his weird vibes: wishful thinking.

"Well, you didn't talk to me the entire car ride down here, you haven't said anything to me since we left the dorm room. And, most important, you haven't even _touched_ your pancakes!" Rory said, pointing at the neglected breakfast food on Jess' plate.

"Oh... It's... nothing." Jess said, hoping to drop the subject, but knowing that she wouldn't.

"Come _on_, Jess, I know you. And I know you well enough to know that something is going on. So, what is it?" Rory had started to become a little worried. Jess wasn't a talkative person, as she was, but he had never been this way with her. She wasn't sure what it meant.

_"It's time to tell her. Just do it now,"_ Jess' conscience told him. He cleared his throat. "Well, first of all..."

"Yes?" Rory interrupted, impatient.

"Just let me get this out, Ror." Jess said, running his hand through his hair for the millionth time that morning.

"Ok. Go."

"Ok. Well, first of all, this week is Luke and Lorelai's wedding." Jess started off, slowly. Rory nodded for him to continue. "Ok, well, I think I should tell you something important about the ceremony: I'm the best man." At that, Rory smiled, and Jess was relieved but confused. "Why are you smiling?"

"Because, I'm the maid of honor!" Rory said, giddy now.

"_You're_ the--Well, alrighty then. Um... as I was saying, since we are both going to be involved in the wedding..." Jess trailed off. He had suddenly become extremely nervous.

"Yes?" Rory urged.

"Well, I was wondering if..." Jess stammered.

"If what?" Rory pressed.

"Ifyouwantedtobemydatetothewedding." Jess blurted out quickly.

"What did you say?" Rory said. "You were talking too fast, I couldn't understand you."

"What I said was: I was wondering if... you maybe wanted to be my... date to the wedding?" Jess finally got out after a few minutes of effort. Rory smiled again, and Jess felt his fears disappear.

"Why, Jess Mariano, are you asking me out?" Rory teased, smiling.

"Why, I guess I am," Jess replied, smirking now. "What do you say?"

"I thought you'd _never_ ask." Rory said, her smile stretching across her whole face. She looked up at him, and their eyes immediately met. Jess thought he saw a bit of a twinkle in hers, kind of like a star.

"So, is that a 'yes'?" Jess asked hopefully.

"Of _course_ it's a 'yes'! I'd love to go to my Mom and Luke's wedding with you, Jess." Rory answered before stuffing another bite of pancake into her mouth.

Jess let out a relieved sigh, and allowed himself to be calm for the first time that day. He took a look at his pancakes, grabbed a fork, and took a bite: not nearly as good as Luke's, but not bad. He continued eating, but a few minutes later, felt himself being watched. He looked up and saw Rory smiling down at him, an empty plate in front of her, eyes big.

"Can I help you, Miss Gilmore?" Jess asked, knowing that she was ready to go.

"Well, I was wondering if we could... ya know... _go_?" Rory said sweetly. "I mean, you eat so slowly, it could be years before we finally get out of this place."

Jess put his hand to his chest, faking shock. "Well, how very rude of you. I have half a mind to eat twice as slow, just because you said that."

"Aw, come on, Jess, can we go please? Now? Please, please, please?" Rory said, turning up the Puppy Dog Eyes and Begging Voice. Jess hated when she did that, it made him want to give in to anything.

"Alright," he answered as he shoved one last bite of pancake into his mouth. "Let's go, then." He laid some money on the table, enough to cover the check and tip semi-decently. He opened the door for Rory on the way out, and she smiled at him. The two got in the car.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Jess asked. "It's only... 2:45. What do you 'college students' do on weekends at 2:45?"

"Well, we usually study. Or, occasionally, we study. Or, every once in a while, we study." Rory listed off on her fingers, teasing.

"Well, as much fun as studying sounds... I think I saw a used bookstore a little further back on the highway. Wanna check it out?" Jess asked.

"Do you _have_ to ask me that question?" Rory said, scrambling to buckle her seat belt. Jess smiled, laughing at her eagerness. "No time for laughing, man, DRIVE!" Rory shouted.

Jess turned on the car, put on his seat belt, and backed out of the parking space. "As you wish, mademoiselle," he mocked.

* * *

As he held open the door for her, he thought she had never looked more natural, more in her element. This is what she lived for: books, spontaneity, wasting away the day at a tiny, cramped bookstore. He smiled as she disappeared into the 'Classics' section of the tiny store and began to look around. He couldn't really focus, however, because each time he heard Rory squeal with delight or gasp in awe at her findings, he was lost in a fantasy land. He grabbed a copy of _To Kill a Mockingbird_ and sat down in a corner, waiting for Rory to find him. About half an hour later, she did, accompanied by a stack of at least 30 books.

"Wow, Ror, save some for the rest of us, why don't ya," Jess teased, examining the titles and authors.

"Jess, I can't believe we found this place, there are so many books here that I've wanted to buy for ages!" Rory said excitedly.

"Happy to help," Jess said, standing up. "So, are you ready to go?"

"I think so," Rory said, stacking the books again to take to the cashier. "What time is it?"

Jess pulled his phone out of his back pocket and checked it. "It is... 4:15." he said, shocked at how fast the time had gone.

"Ok, then we should probably start heading back," Rory said, taking the books to the front of the store. "Just let me buy these really fast, and then we can go."

"Oh, please, let me." Jess said, taking out his wallet.

"Jess, I couldn't, I--" Rory tried to persuade him.

"Rory, don't be ridiculous. I'm buying them for you. Think of them as... birthday presents for the birthdays I've missed these last couple of years." He paid the cashier and grabbed the bags of books. "Happy Birthday." He smiled, handing the books out to her. She grabbed them and smiled.

"Thanks, Jess. I really appreciate it."

"No problem." They walked out to the car and got in once more. "Alright, Ror, are you ready to go on home?" Jess asked.

"Yes, please. I'm starved!" Rory said, turning on the radio as she did so.

"I swear..." Jess said under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," he replied, laughing. "Nothing at all..."

* * *

_4 days later_

Jess reread the speech he had written for the 20th time in the last 3 days. He wasn't a very eloquent speaker, but this particular speech had to be good. He was planning on surprising Luke, and hopefully winning over Lorelai, with this little speech, so it had to be perfect. He read it, crossing out things here, adding a word or two there. When he finished editing, he read it over again. _"Perfect."_ he thought. He checked his watch. _"She should be home any minute now..."_ he thought to himself. He got up, deciding he had better tidy up the place a bit. He picked up the old takeout containers and threw them in the trash; gathered up the books that Rory had bought that past weekend and 'organized' on the floor. Jess couldn't stand uncleanliness, it bothered him more than anything in the world. Not that Rory wasn't clean, because she was, but sometimes, his OCD was just so out of control that even he didn't know how to handle it. He made the bed; opened up the windows, made some coffee. Jess sighed and returned back to his previous position at Rory's desk. He picked up the speech, then put it back down.

"Ok, that's it, I'm officially done. This is the best they're gonna get outta me," Jess grumbled. The door opened, and in walked Rory, carrying a briefcase and a huge stack of manilla folders. She threw them down on the couch, not caring when a few of them fell on the ground. She kicked off her heels and let her hair down, placing her keys on the table next to the door.

"Hey," she said tiredly.

"Hey," he replied. "Rough day?"

"You could say that. Things were just so hectic at the paper today. I mean, it's our last issue before most of the staff graduates, and everyone is just a little uptight right now, if you know what I mean," Rory mumbled, rubbing her temples.

"Come on, Paris can't be _that_ bad," Jess said as he walked over to her, smiling. Rory laughed. "Here, let me take your jacket." He hung it up on the coat rack. "So, are you all ready for this weekend? I'm actually getting kind of nervous."

"Are you kidding? I'm so excited! I get to skip the paper tomorrow, and hang out with my Mom all weekend. It's gonna be a blast! Do you have your speech written?" Rory said. She knew he'd been having some trouble with it for the past couple of days.

"Eh, maybe," Jess shrugged off the question. "Do you have _yours_ written?"

"Are you kidding? I've had mine written since the second I found out they were getting married!" Rory said as she walked over to her dresser and looked around for some pajamas. Unfortunately, she hadn't really had time to do any laundry lately, so she had no clean clothes to wear. "Oh, crap," she said, almost to quietly for Jess to hear. _Almost_.

"What is it? Do you need some clothes to sleep in?" he asked as he walked over to the bed and picked up the book he was reading.

"Well, would you mind if I borrowed some?" Rory asked, not wanting to make the situation awkward.

"Not at all. There should be some sweatpants and a tank top in my bag," Jess said, turning down the sheets. Rory grabbed the clothes and headed into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, then changed out of her clothes into Jess'. The pants were huge on her, so she rolled them up a few times on the waistband. The tank top wasn't bad, so she didn't worry about that.

When Jess heard her come out of the bathroom, he glanced up over the top of his book. The sight of Rory in his clothes made him happy, and he smiled. She looked so natural like that. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice he was staring.

"What are you staring at? Do I have toothpaste on my face or something?" Rory asked self-consciously.

"What? No, no. You look..." Jess trailed off, not knowing the right words. Rory blushed and walked over to her side of the bed, picking up her book. She plopped down and started to read. Jess went back to his reading, knowing that Rory would fall asleep within the next 5 minutes. He waited. Sure enough, a few page turns later, and she was out. He took her book and put it back on the night stand, doing the same with his own, and turned out the light. He lied down behind her and pulled her to him once more, knowing that he wouldn't be able to sleep in the same bed with her all weekend.

"God, I'm not going to get any sleep this weekend," he whispered to himself as she snuggled back into him, sighing happily and smiling in her sleep. He wondered what she was dreaming of. "Probably not me," he said bitterly. "Oh, if only she knew how I feel about her..." Jess stopped his thought right there, knowing that he couldn't jeopardize their situation again. Maybe after the wedding, things would change. Maybe... "Hopefully," Jess said before falling into a restless sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Friday: The Rehearsal Dinner, The Day Before the Wedding.**

Rory had just left for class, hurrying because she was very late. Jess barely moved when her alarm went off, and as she was bustling around the room. She left the room with neglect, not wanting to leave Jess alone for most of the day, but she did leave him a note. In her perfect script, it read:

_Hey Jess,_

_Had to leave for class, because I think it might help me to graduate if I actually got some studying done. Shame on you for distracting me. But, you'll be pretty much alone for the whole day, because I have an emergency meeting for the paper at lunch. So, you can do whatever you want: read, sleep, eat, watch movies, pack boxes... But, I should be home before we have to leave for the rehearsal dinner, so I should be back around 4. Have a good day, and _try _to do something productive!_

_-Rory_

She had almost written "Love, Rory", but she then remembered that they weren't exactly on that basis. _Yet._ She locked the door behind her, not looking forward to the busy day ahead.

"God, I could have lounged around with him all day. Stupid reality," she murmured angrily.

* * *

She grabbed a quick coffee from the coffee cart and walked briskly to class. She arrived a few minutes before class started, so she decided to go over her speech one last time. She took it out of the folder she had been keeping it in, not wanting it to get smudged. She took it out and began to look over it:

_Ladies and gentlemen,_

_As I'm sure all of you know, no one is as happy as I am that my Mom and Luke are finally together. I've been waiting for years! Luke and my Mom were made for each other from the very beginning. He made coffee and breakfast, she drinks coffee and eats breakfast. When they first saw each other, though they weren't willing to admit it, they knew it was fate. Ever so slowly, their friendship began to grow, to blossom into one of the greatest romances of all time. One that I myself am hoping that I will have someday. They are a perfect match, they compliment each other. Luke is the subdued, stubborn, quiet one in the relationship. My mom, on the other hand, is the... louder of the two, the one with more energy. The fates have just been waiting for that one moment in time when the sparks would finally fly between them, and their friendship would grow into something more. And, fortunately for them and all of us, it did. So, I just have one last thing to say, one last thing to add to this little speech, a quote from a website that I found, actually. "It's so easy, to think about Love, to talk about Love, to wish for Love, but it's not always easy to recognize love. Even when we hold it in our hands." I think that my mom and Luke have personified this quote in their relationship, not recognizing their love until it was at its peak. So Mom, Luke, I love you both, and I'm so happy that you finally found love in each others' hands. _

"Man, I'm a good writer," Rory whispered to herself, laughing at her own pride. She tucked the speech back in the folder, content with her work; as she did so, class began. Rory sighed, her mind drifting off to the events that could possibly occur later that evening...

* * *

Jess awoke at about 10:30, just as the sun began to shine through the window and directly into his eyes.

"Goddamn it, stupid sun," he mumbled groggily as he walked over to the window to shut the curtains, wanting to return to his slumber. But, by the time he walked over to the curtains, shut them, and walked over to the bed, he was fully awake.

"I guess it's time to wake up and start the day," he said angrily, rubbing his eyes. He went over to the coffee pot and found liquid still in the pot. _"Rory,"_ he thought. He looked around for her, called her name: she wasn't in the dorm.

"Huh, that's weird," he said quietly. "She's usually not even up by this time..." It was then that he saw the bright pink Sticky Note on the table. He walked over to it, read it, and smiled. _"That is so like Rory, to leave me a note. Even though I do productive things... Don't know what she was talking about there." _Jess thought. He decided it was probably time to get ready, so he took a shower and shaved: Rory had a way of making him forget about shaving, because she always wore him out with her non-stop talking. As soon as he was done with that, he got dressed and poured himself another cup of coffee. He saw the New York Times on the table, so he searched through it for the crossword puzzle. "Here it is," he said, as he pulled out the puzzle from deep within the fathoms of the paper. He completed the puzzle within the hour, however, and he was back to where he had started: alone with nothing to do. He walked around the dorm room, picking up trash and sorting Rory's things into piles. He put a couple of books in a box, and attempted to organize the chaos. But, again, he finished all of that in no time at all. He plopped down on the couch, and decided that he should probably finish his best man speech. He searched his pockets, and finally found the crinkled piece of paper that he was looking for: his speech. He unfolded it and smoothed it out, laying it down on the coffee table. He looked at the paper, and decided to read it over, then edit it for the millionth time. Jess wasn't one for speeches, but this speech was special, and he knew that it was one of the most important that he would ever make. He began to read:

_Hey everybody,_

_I'm Jess, Luke's nephew and best man. Listen, I'm not really good at making speeches, but I'm gonna try, so bear with me. The first time I met Lorelai, she was at Luke's diner, ordering breakfast. At the time, I was just an immature 17-year-old, with no care about who my uncle's acquaintances were. I didn't know that she was not just an acquaintance, but the love of Luke's life. For the time that I lived in Stars Hollow, I slowly began to realize that something was brewing between my stubborn uncle and this 'acquaintance'. They were best friends, but they didn't know they were in love. I'm pretty sure they were the _only _ones who didn't know... Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is: I'm really happy for the two of you. You finally found the one who completes you, the one who makes you the best version of yourself. You two are the couple that couples wish to be, the 'fairy tale' couple that everyone envies because what they have is so genuine, so beautiful, that nothing else compares to it in the world. Congratulations to both of you on the start of your new life together, and I hope that all of your days will be as special as this one. I love you guys._

"Damn, I'm good," Jess laughed. "I don't need to edit that at all, that will be just perfect. Awesome." He smirked to himself, proud with his achievement. He glanced at the clock: 3:00. "Ok, so that's like, an hour before Rory gets home. I'll just read, then," he said to himself. He pulled out his latest Hemingway and got to work, awaiting the time when he would finally get to take Rory out for their first official 'date' since the two had been 'back together'. Jess smiled to himself. He couldn't wait.

* * *

Rory checked her watch as she headed back to the dorm: 3:45.

"Yes, I'm early!" she shrieked as she arrived outside the ivy-covered building. She opened the door quickly, and found Jess sitting on the couch, reading. "What're you reading?"

Jess held up the book.

"Ew, Hemingway again? Why do you read him? He is _such _a chauvinist!" Rory said as she laid her messenger bag and keys on the table by the door.

"He is _not,_" Jess answered. "You just haven't accepted his genius yet." He stood up, smiling. "So, let's get ready, shall we?"

"Ok, sounds good. See you in like, a half hour!" Rory yelled as she ran into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Jess laughed and walked over to one of the shopping bags that was lying next to his overnight bag. He had had to go shopping earlier that day, because he hadn't brought any 'fancy clothes' to wear to occasions like this one. He pulled out a pair of black pants, a black shirt, and a white tie, and took them over to the ironing board. He turned on the radio and began to iron slowly, knowing that it wouldn't take him very long to get ready. After about 10 minutes, he heard the shower water turn off, and Rory scrambling about in the bathroom. Then he heard her hairdryer. "Wow, she's actually getting ready a lot faster than I thought she'd be..." Jess said quietly. He slowly undressed down to his boxers and sleeveless white t-shirt, and put on his clothes for the evening. He took the speech out of his jeans pocket and put it in his shirt pocket, not wanting to run the risk of it getting lost. He walked over to the mirror and tied his tie, then put on his shoes. He combed his hair, put on some cologne, and looked at the clock, which read 4:35. He walked over to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"Hey Ror, are you almost ready? It's almost time to go," Jess said.

"Uh... yeah, just give me a few more minutes..." came Rory's muffled reply. Jess laughed and sat down on the couch, picking up his book again. Just as he started to turn the page, however, he heard the bathroom door open. He looked up to see Rory, and his jaw dropped. She looked absolutely gorgeous: her hair was curled, her make-up perfect, her toenails painted to match her dress perfectly. _"Oh, that dress,"_ Jess thought to himself, instinctively licking his lips. It was the perfect dress for Rory: it was dark blue, which made her eyes stand out even more than usual, and it was a v-neck; it stopped a little above her knees, and the fabric looked smooth, looking like it was practically made to fit her body perfectly. As Rory began to fidget nervously, Jess realized he was staring. He blushed, but didn't look away; instead, he closed his book abruptly, smoothed out the wrinkles in his pants and shirt, and walked up to her, smiling.

"Rory, you look... _beautiful_," Jess said, just above a whisper.

She blushed. "Thank you, Jess," Rory said, equally quiet. "You look very handsome, too."

He blushed. "Oh, well, uh... thanks," he said nervously. _"Handsome is an understatement,"_ Rory thought to herself. Jess looked fantastic in his outfit, Rory had never seen him so dressed up. She thought that it all suited him, down to the whiteness of his tie. "So, uh... are you ready to go?" Jess asked, breaking Rory out of her trance.

"Sure," she responded too quickly. "Just let me grab my purse... alright, let's go."

Jess grabbed his leather jacket, not caring if he got yelled at by Luke for wearing it. It was his favorite article of clothing, like he _wouldn't _take it. "Alrighty then, we're off," he said as he grabbed his keys and opened the door for her. They got in the car, turned up the music, and were on their way in a flash.

* * *

As they were driving, Rory kept stealing looks at Jess, thinking he couldn't see her. But, he could. Jess, however, was doing exactly the same thing, thinking she couldn't see him. But, she could. Neither of them were willing to admit it, though, so the first couple of minutes of the car ride were filled with an awkward yet comfortable silence. As they passed yet another highway sign identifying the nearest rest stop, Rory decided she needed to make conversation.

"So, Jess, how long has it been since you've been back?"

"Back where?" he asked, confused.

"To Stars Hollow." Rory replied.

"Oh. Um, I'd say about 2 years?" Jess said, trying to remember.

"Really? Wow, I went back like..."

"A week ago?" Jess said, his signature smirk forming on his face.

"How did you know that?" Rory questioned, impressed. "Are you psychic or something?"

Jess laughed loudly. "Luke told me."

"Oh. Right." Rory stated shortly, knowing that the conversation was about to die.

"Yeah." Jess confirmed. _"What to talk about, what to talk about..." _Jess asked himself. "Hey Rory?"

"Yeah?"

"What's your favorite B52's song?"

"What?" Rory was surprised by the question. Of all the things to talk about, he had to pick the B52s?

"What's your favorite B52's song?" Jess asked again, glad that he thought of a distraction, no matter how lame it sounded.

"Probably 'The Love Shack'." Rory said matter-of-factly. "You?"

"Definitely 'Rock Lobster'." Jess said, knowing she would be surprised at his song choice.

"'Rock Lobster'? You?"

"Well, yeah. I couldn't say 'Love Shack', because you took it. So, 'Rock Lobster' is definitely my second favorite, easy." Jess said, still smiling. Now that he had gotten the ball rolling, the conversation finally started to flow. The two continued to talk about music all the way to Stars Hollow, when they finally arrived at the Dragonfly Inn, the site of the wedding and rehearsal dinner.

"Well, we're here," Jess said as he hopped out of the car and went over to Rory's side, opening the door for her.

"Thank you," she chirped as she hopped out. "Are you ready for this?" she asked nervously.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he answered, equally nervous. "Let's go."

* * *

As soon as they entered the hotel, Rory began to look around frantically, not seeing the one face she was hoping to see. She continued to look around, not paying attention when various employees of the hotel greeted her.

"Who are you looking for?" Jess asked, knowing the answer to the question already.

"Where is she? She isn't here? What's going on?" Rory muttered to herself, still scanning the room.

"Who is 'she'?" Jess said, smiling at her frustration.

"Jess, come on. 'She' is my--MOM!" Rory shouted, finally spotting her.

"RORY!" Lorelai squealed, running across the room to embrace her daughter. The two hugged for a couple of minutes while Jess stood uncomfortably to the side, not sure what to do. It was then that he saw Luke, who bounded across the room and scooped him up in a man-hug. Jess hugged him back, smiling.

"How have you been, Luke?"

"Great, Jess, absolutely great. How have you been? You look... happy," Luke replied, still holding onto Jess.

"I've been good. Kinda stressed about this whole thing, but, ya know," Jess said, trying to pull away. Luke was crushing the air out of his lungs.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that," Luke said, embarrassed. "You look great!"

"Thank you, so do you," Jess said. He looked over at Lorelai and Rory, the "Gilmore Girls". They were busy chatting away, catching up on everything that had happened in the last week, oblivious to the world around them. He smiled, and returned his attention to Luke. "So, when does this whole thing start?"

"Well, it can start now!" Luke said. "Hey Lorelai, are you ready to start?"

"--and then I was like, 'You can't just expect me to NOT have coffee at my wedding, that's insane!' And now we are _so _having it at the reception." Lorelai said to Rory before finally hearing Luke. "What?"

"Are you ready?" he asked, impatient.

"Fine, fine," Lorelai answered. "Here I am trying to catch up with my daughter who I haven't seen in like, a week, and you're interrupting me about this dinner thing..."

"'This dinner thing' happens to be our rehearsal, Lorelai. And, the faster we get in there, the faster you can keep talking to Rory," Luke replied patiently.

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" Lorelai said, grabbing Luke's hand and dragging him toward the dining room. "Let's go!" Jess and Rory both laughed, following the soon-to-be-married couple.

The dinner went by quickly, and everything was perfect: the food that Sookie had made was fantastic, the seating arrangements (Jess, Rory, Lorelai, and Luke were all at the same table, with Jess and Rory seated next to each other on one side, and Luke and Lorelai on the other). The four of them got caught up on each others' lives, and everything was going smoothly. At the same time, however, Jess and Rory realized that speeches were to be made soon, and both of them got extremely nervous. They had their speeches prepared, but it was now crunch time. Jess decided to get it over with. He tapped lightly on his glass with his butter knife, getting the attention of the room in mere seconds. He gulped nervously.

"I'd like to make the first toast of the evening," he said, starting to calm down with his momentum. "Ok, so, here it goes. Hey everybody, I'm Jess, Luke's nephew and best man. Listen, I'm not really good at making speeches, but I'm gonna try, so bear with me." He started to become more and more comfortable with each word. "The first time I met Lorelai, she was at Luke's diner, ordering breakfast. At the time, I was just an immature 17-year-old, with no care about who my uncle's acquaintances were. I didn't know that she was not just an acquaintance, but the love of Luke's life. For the time that I lived in Stars Hollow, I slowly began to realize that something was brewing between my stubborn uncle and this 'acquaintance'. They were best friends, but they didn't know they were in love. I'm pretty sure they were the only ones who didn't know... Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is: I'm really happy for the two of you. You finally found the one who completes you, the one who makes you the best version of yourself. You two are the couple that couples wish to be, the 'fairy tale' couple that everyone envies because what they have is so genuine, so beautiful, that nothing else compares to it in the world. Congratulations to both of you on the start of your new life together, and I hope that all of your days will be as special as this one. I love you guys. To the bride and groom." Jess finished, raising his glass. He looked over at Luke and Lorelai, both of whom had tears in their eyes. He then glanced at Rory, who was smiling up at him in awe, tears in her eyes as well. He sat down quickly, glad that that was over. Rory leaned over to him.

"Jess, that was a great speech. I can't believe you wouldn't let me read it!" Rory whispered.

Jess smiled at her. "Your turn." Rory let her breath out quickly, and tapped her glass.

"I would like to make another toast, please," she said. "Ladies and gentlemen, As I'm sure all of you know, no one is as happy as I am that my Mom and Luke are finally together. I've been waiting for years! Luke and my Mom were made for each other from the very beginning. He made coffee and breakfast, she drinks coffee and eats breakfast. When they first saw each other, though they weren't willing to admit it, they knew it was fate. Ever so slowly, their friendship began to grow, to blossom into one of the greatest romances of all time. One that I myself am hoping that I will have someday. They are a perfect match, they compliment each other. Luke is the subdued, stubborn, quiet one in the relationship. My mom, on the other hand, is the... louder of the two, the one with more energy. The fates have just been waiting for that one moment in time when the sparks would finally fly between them, and their friendship would grow into something more. And, fortunately for them and all of us, it did. So, I just have one last thing to say, one last thing to add to this little speech, a quote from a website that I found, actually. "It's so easy, to think about Love, to talk about Love, to wish for Love, but it's not always easy to recognize love. Even when we hold it in our hands." I think that my mom and Luke have personified this quote in their relationship, not recognizing their love until it was at its peak. So Mom, Luke, I love you both, and I'm so happy that you finally found love in each others' hands." Rory smiled, happy to be done. "To the bride and groom." She raised her glass as Jess had, looking around at the faces of the people in the room. Her mom was crying, and Luke was teary-eyed. She glanced at Jess, and saw that even he had shiny eyes. She sat down and let out a sigh of relief.

"You're telling me _my _speech was good?" Jess whispered to her as she sat.

"Well, it _was_," Rory replied, smirking.

"Well, so was yours." he said, matching her facial expression. A few more speeches were made, and then the evening finally came to a close with Lorelai and Luke thanking everyone for coming. As everyone was leaving, Luke, Lorelai, Rory, and Jess stayed at their table. When the room was cleared, they all finally had a chance to talk normally.

"Rory, Jess, thank you so much, your speeches were wonderful," Lorelai said, hugging them.

"Yeah, they were," Luke agreed. "Who knew you could write, Jess?" he teased.

"Oh gee, thanks Luke," Jess said, smiling.

"Any time," Luke said, a smile starting to show on his features. "Well, I think Lorelai and I are going to take a walk, the Inn is beautiful at night," Luke added, standing up. Lorelai stood too, and hugged Rory again.

"I'm so glad you could be here, Ror. This means so much to me." Lorelai said. "But, as much as I love you, I love Luke too, so I'm gonna walk with him now," she added, grabbing Luke's hand.

"Alright, just go already," Jess said. They left, leaving Rory and Jess alone at the table.

"So..." Jess said awkwardly.

"So..." Rory said.

"Wanna go for a walk?" Jess asked eagerly.

"A walk?" Rory questioned, not believing that he was entirely serious.

"Yes, a walk. I do occasionally exercise, and I think it might be good for you to get some too," he teased.

"You should know never to ask a Gilmore to exercise. It's like suicide." Rory stated simply.

"Come on, please?" Jess asked, practically begging.

"Ok, sure," Rory said. They stood in unison. "Lead the way," she said.

"Ok. Follow me," Jess said mysteriously.

* * *

They had been walking for a while, taking in the sights and sounds of the Inn grounds at night, when Jess veered off the path. When Rory opened her mouth in protest, he shushed her, telling her to 'Trust him, he knew where he was going'. They walked for 10 more minutes, the only sounds being those of their shoes on the pavement.

"Jess, will you _please_ tell me where we're going?" Rory asked impatiently for the fifth time in 2 minutes.

"No, just wait," he said, walking ahead with determination.

"Well, how long is this going to take? We do actually have to get some sleep, you know. We happen to be some of the most important people in the wedding tomorrow." Rory said, trying to distract him.

"Yes, I know," Jess said, still walking forward. "We're almost there, just give it a few minutes."

"Fine," Rory said impatiently, pouting. Jess laughed at her facial expression. "What're you laughing at?" she asked, offended.

"Your face was just really funny just then. Cute, but funny." Jess stated, continuing to walk. _"Any minute now..."_ he thought to himself.

"Thanks," she retorted sarcastically. Jess stopped walking, and Rory bumped into him. "Why did you stop?" she asked.

"Because, we're here," Jess said, gesturing around him. He disappeared behind a tree, and Rory heard something click. Rory looked around. It was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. Back behind the lake, near where she and Jess had shared their first kiss, there was a clearing in the trees that she had never noticed before. There were lanterns strung through the branches, and everything was lit in a comfortable glow. She realized the click was a light switch. She gasped in awe.

"It's... beautiful." she said, feeling like an idiot for stating the obvious.

"Yeah," Jess said. "When I moved back the second time, I used to spend a lot of time out here, and Luke didn't like me being alone in the dark, so I fixed the place up a bit. Good to see that no one's destroyed it yet," he said happily, walking around.

"Well, they probably couldn't find it, what with all of your all-terrain hiking," Rory said sarcastically. She saw Jess disappear behind a bush and pull out a few blankets, plus a few pillows. "Where did you get those?"

"They've been here, I kept them here," he said simply. He laid one down on the ground, tossing the pillows down. "So, shall we sit?"

"On the _ground_?" Rory asked incredulously.

"Yes, on the ground. Trust me, these are the thickest blankets ever, you won't get any dirt on you," he said as he sat, patting the space on the blanket next to him. "Come on, take a load off."

"Ok," Rory said, sitting down next to him. "This place is fantastic, Jess. I can see why you like it here."

"Yeah, I've spent many a night out here," he said, lying down. "You can see so many stars from here, it's crazy."

"No you can't," Rory said, not believing him.

"Yes you can. Come on, look." Jess said, gesturing toward the sky. Rory lied down next to him, and realized he was right: she could see millions of stars from their little place in the trees. She shivered.

"Are you cold?" Jess asked.

"A little," she said, not wanting to sound like a wimp.

"Well, I can fix that," he replied, taking off his jacket. He put it on her shoulders, and she slipped her arms through the sleeves, breathing in the familiar scent. _"God, I've missed this jacket,"_ she thought to herself. Rory looked back up at the stars, but Jess just kept looking at her. _"She is so beautiful, and she doesn't even know it,"_ he thought. She sighed, and he snapped out of his trance.

"Geez, this is the most fun I've had in... a while." Rory admitted.

"Glad to know that you liked this. I thought you might," Jess added as an after-thought. They laid in comfortable silence for a while, Rory watching the stars, Jess watching Rory. He loved the sight of her in his leather jacket, it seemed so... _right_. _"I have to do something. I have to know, or I might just go crazy."_ Jess thought to himself. He looked over at Rory, not wanting to startle her when he broke the silence. She seemed content. _"It's now or never,"_ he thought. He took a deep breath.

"Hey Rory?"

"Yeah, Jess?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she said, turning to face him.

"What are we?" Jess asked.

"What do you mean? We're friends, we're... people who like to spend time together." Rory answered, thinking that was what he wanted to hear.

"Oh," Jess answered, disappointed. "That's all we are to you? Friends?" he said, his voice rising.

"Yes?" Rory said, not really knowing what was going on. _"What's with the mood swing? What's going on?"_ she asked herself.

"Is that really all that these past weeks have been to you?" Jess said, running his hand through his hair.

"What? Jess, I don't understand what you want me to say..." Rory replied, getting more and more confused by the second. "What do you mean? What have these weeks meant to _you_?"

"What have they meant to-- Rory, these past couple of weeks have been really difficult for me, to tell you the truth." Jess said honestly.

"What? Why?" Rory asked, interpreting his answer the wrong way.

"Because, things have been so great. I knew that I wanted you in my life, that's why I came back. But, getting to know you, to spend time with you again, it's... overwhelming." Jess said, worried about all of the things he was about to say to her.

"Jess, I--"

"Rory, I don't know what to do here." Jess said, looking away.

"What do you mean, 'you don't know what to do'?" Rory said, her heart breaking at his words.

"I can't be your friend anymore, Rory."

"Why not?" Rory said, her voice rising.

"Because, I..." Jess tapered off, not wanting to let himself be vulnerable with her again, not wanting to get hurt.

"Because you what?" Rory said, needing to know.

"Because I want to be more than your friend, ok? I can't deal with not seeing you every second of the day, it drives me crazy. But, when I do see you, that drives me crazy _too_, because I want to kiss you so bad it's unbearable. I don't know what to do here, because I can't deal with just being your friend anymore. I want to be _more _than your friend. I need you, Rory Gilmore. And, as ridiculous as that sounds coming from me, I don't even care, because I'm... I'm... I'm in love with you." Jess said, finally looking back at her with the last 5 words.

"You're _what_?" Rory asked, not believing what she had just heard.

"I'm in love with you." Jess said, staring her in the eyes. _"Oh my God, I can't believe I just told her that. I'm such an idiot, she's never going to talk to me again, she's going to hate me now, send me away. I can't believe I just--God, I can't believe I just did that." _He looked at Rory, trying to read the expression in her face.

"Oh." she breathed, looking at him.

"Yeah," Jess said quietly, not looking her in the eye. Rory reached over to him and grabbed his head between her hands, making him look at her. She stared him straight in the eyes, which were filled with so much emotion and honesty that Rory wanted to cry. He just looked at her, breathing quietly. She then leaned in and kissed him, the most passion-filled kiss that the two had ever shared. Rory was so happy that Jess had just told her all of that, it was everything she had been wanting to tell him for weeks now. Jess pulled Rory closer to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. She used his tie to pull him to her, undoing the knot quickly and taking his tie off. Her hands went to his hair, playing with the unruly hair at the nape of his neck. As her fingernails scraped against his hyper-sensitive skin, Jess groaned, moving his lips to the smooth skin of her neck. He began to leave a trail of fiery kisses all along it, making Rory gasp for air. When he sucked on her pulse point, grazing it with his teeth, it was Rory's turn to groan. She closed her eyes, savoring in the sensation of his lips on her skin. He slowly went up her neck, coming to the skin behind her ear, and he slowly began to kiss his way back to her lips. When he claimed her lips once more, they both groaned. Rory moved away from Jess' mouth and began to kiss his neck as he had hers, moving teasingly. She went to his ear lobe and nibbled on it lightly, causing him to groan again. He rolled over, Rory lying on top of him. The pair continued to kiss, Rory letting Jess claim her neck again.

"Say it again," she whispered.

"I love you." Jess murmured in between kisses.

"Again."

"I love you." Jess murmured, slowly making his way back toward her lips.

She put her hands on the ground on either side of Jess' head, propping herself up. "Look at me and say it again," she demanded.

Jess moved his head from her neck and opened his eyes, looking at her. "I love you, Rory."

"Mmmmmmm." She said quietly, closing her eyes. "I thought you would never say that." She opened her eyes again, staring into Jess' eyes as she did so.

"Like I wouldn't." Jess replied, smiling. "I love you, I love you, I love you," he muttered over and over as he leaned in to kiss her again.

"Jess," she breathed when he was half a centimeter away from her lips.

"Yeah," he whispered, hating the distance between them, wanting to close it.

"I love you, too." Rory whispered. At that, Jess closed the distance between them, so filled with happiness that it felt like his heart would burst. As he took his jacket off of her and started to unzip her dress, Rory stopped him.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He didn't want to push her, didn't want to ruin the progress that had just been made in their relationship.

"Jess, I love you, but not tonight, ok?" Rory said, opening her eyes. Jess looked at her, and then zipped her dress back up.

"Ok." he said.

"Ok? That's it? You're not mad?" Rory asked, not wanting to fight with him after they had just established everything.

"No, I'm not mad." Jess said, leaning in to kiss her tenderly on the lips. "You love me, and right now, that's enough," he said, smiling.

"Are you sure?" Rory whispered.

"Yes, I'm sure," he sighed. She rolled off of him, putting his jacket back on. As soon as it was on, she returned to his open arms, snuggling into his chest. They sighed happily, Jess' chin resting on top of Rory's head.

"Hey, Ror?" he murmured.

"Yeah?"

"Does that mean we're 'dating' now?" he asked, needing confirmation.

"_Of course_ it does, silly." Rory answered, leaning up to kiss him. He deepened the kiss, and she smiled, pulling away reluctantly. "Set your alarm on your phone, ok? I don't want to head back to the Inn, I'd much rather sleep here. We'll just get up a little earlier than we planned, sound good?" she asked, smiling up at him.

"Sounds _perfect," _he agreed, kissing her once more on the lips. He set his phone alarm. "Ok, done."

"Mmm, good." She mumbled, sleep overtaking her.

"I love you, Ror."

"I love you, too, Jess."

They fell asleep in each other's arms, both with smiles on their faces.


	11. Chapter 11

Jess awoke to his cell phone ringing loudly.

"What the hell?" he said groggily. He looked at the screen to see who it was: _Paul._ "Hello?" Jess answered, now awakening.

_"Jess? Is that you?" _

"Yeah, Paul, it's me. Who else would it be?" Jess asked angrily. He stood up slowly, not wanting to wake Rory, and walked over to the trees.

_"So you _are _alive. Way to not call me for like, a month, dude. I've been worried sick! And plus, your school called." _Paul said. Jess could tell he was tired.

"My school? Oh, _crap_, what did you say to them? I completely forgot about that..." Jess said, worried.

_"Don't worry about it. I just told them that your dad died, so you had to make all of the arrangements and stuff," _Paul answered nonchalantly.

"You told them that my dad _died?_" Jess asked.

_"Well, yeah."_

"Paul, that's crazy. My dad has been dead for 8 years." Jess said. "How did you get them to believe that story?"

_"It really wasn't that hard. I mumbled off a few lies, and then they kind of assumed the rest. Why, bad move?" _

"No, that was actually a brilliant plan," Jess said quietly, smiling.

_"So, how goes it with that girl you went to see?" _Paul asked, changing the subject.

"Well, we um... We're..." Jess stammered, not sure he wanted to reveal all of this to Paul just yet.

_"Oh my God, did you marry her?" _Paul shouted.

"What?! No, I didn't marry her," Jess said quickly, lowering his voice.

_"Well, then, what happened?"_

"Ok, I have to give you the shortened version Paul. So, basically, I went to see her, and we've been living together for the past couple of weeks. We are now at my Uncle's wedding, and my Uncle is marrying her mom. I'm the best man, and she's the maid of honor. So, last night, we went on a walk, and I told her I loved her." Jess said quickly, surprised at how easy the story was to condense.

_"You told her you--Wow, Mariano, are you goin' soft on me?" _Paul teased.

"No, shut it. I am in love with her." Jess retorted.

_"Ok, well, what did she say? What happened after that?"_

"She said that she loves me back. And nothing happened, we just kissed. A lot. But, she wants to take it slow, and I'm respecting that," Jess answered.

_"That's awesome, man! Congratulations, I'm happy for you!" _Paul shouted on the other line.

"Well, thanks, Paul. But, I'm going to have to talk to you later, ok? Because I have to start getting ready for the wedding," Jess said distractedly. He had just seen Rory sit up in the middle of the clearing.

_"Sure, man, I'll talk to you later. Oh, and Jess?"_

"Yeah?"

_"Please don't wait this long to talk to me again, I thought you were dead or something." _Paul said.

"Ok, sure. Bye."

_"Later."_

Jess shut his phone and walked back over to Rory, who was looking around frantically. He plopped down beside her.

"Good morning," he greeted, kissing her tenderly on the lips.

"Good morning." Rory replied. She then pulled away from him quickly.

"What's wrong?" Jess asked.

"What time is it? Shouldn't we be at the wedding? Oh my God, if I'm late, my mom's going to kill me..." Rory said, not giving Jess time to get a word in.

"Ok, Ror, slow down. It is now 6:30 in the morning. The wedding doesn't start until 3:00 this afternoon. We woke up before the alarm, so you're not going to be late. We actually have about an hour to kill before we have to head back." Jess said, which calmed Rory down immensely.

"Really? Wow," Rory said, everything starting to finally dawn on her. "Well, what could we do for an hour?" she asked, turning to him.

Jess smirked and lifted an eyebrow. "Well, I can think of a few ideas," he said as he leaned in toward her.

"Oh, really? And what might those be?" Rory asked flirtatiously, leaning in towards him.

"Well, for starters, we could do _this_..." Jess said quietly as he claimed her lips. She draped her arms around his neck, and he slowly brought his hands around her tiny waist. Rory slowly pushed Jess back until he was lying on the ground again, with her on top of him. The pair continued making out for a few more minutes until air began to become a major issue. Jess smiled into the kiss, causing Rory to pull away.

"What's wrong?" Rory asked, thinking the worst.

"Oh, nothing's wrong," Jess replied, still smirking.

"Then why did you smile into our kiss?"

"Is it wrong of me to smile?" Jess asked, mock offended.

"Well, yeah. You're Jess Mariano. You hardly ever smile." Rory said, stating the obvious.

"I do too smile," Jess said. "It's just not all the time."

"Name at least five times in the last week that you've smiled," Rory tested him.

"Ok, fine, I will." Jess thought for a moment. "One, when you checked me out a couple of days ago right after I got out of the shower. Two, when you came out of the bathroom getting ready for breakfast. Three, when you agreed to come with me to the wedding. Four, last night after you finished your speech. And five, when you told me you loved me last night." Jess stated, matter-of-factly. He knew that she hadn't thought he'd be able to do it.

"Wow. That's five times." Rory said, dumbfounded. "But, all of those reasons are to do with me."

"Yes, and your point is?"

"Why are they all only to do with me?" Rory asked.

"Because you, Rory Gilmore, are the reason that I smile." Jess said, a slow smile starting to form on his face.

"Really?" Rory replied, blushing.

"Of course," Jess said. He leaned in and kissed her tenderly. Just as things were starting to get heated, his phone alarm went off. "Ugh, not _now_." Jess moaned.

"It's ok, we can do this later," Rory said, getting up.

"Oh, gee, I'm glad to see you're so sure of yourself, Miss Gilmore," Jess said, teasing. "How could you possibly know when I'm going to kiss you next, and if I will still kiss you in the same way that I was just kissing you?"

"Wow, that was a lot of forms of the word 'kiss' in one sentence," Rory teased back. "And plus, I know, trust me."

"How do you know?"

"Because you love me." Rory stated simply, picking up his jacket and putting it on. Jess stood up too, and put his arm around her shoulders, smiling.

"That I do, Rory Gilmore, that I do." Jess kissed her on the forehead lightly. She leaned into him, putting her arm around his waist. He laced their fingers together, and Rory smiled.

"Alright, let's go." Rory said, pulling Jess with her.

"Yes ma'am." He said in his best imitation of a southern accent. They walked off to the Inn, knowing that this was probably the most alone time together they would have all day. Jess pulled Rory tighter to him as this thought crossed his mind, and she happily obliged.

* * *

"How did I get so lucky?" he asked, smiling down at her.

"I don't know. I mean, I'm _Rory Gilmore. _You _should_ consider yourself lucky," Rory teased, smirking. Jess leaned down and kissed the top of her nose just as they reached the front doors of the Inn. They turned to face each other with sad expressions on their faces.

"So..." Rory trailed off.

"So." Jess said simply.

"I guess I'll see you in a few hours?" Rory said, moving teasingly, slowly toward him.

"Ugh, that's too long to wait," Jess pouted. Rory came and wrapped her arms around his neck. Jess' automatically went to her waist.

"Well, if it's going to be that long, I suggest you make this last kiss a good one." Rory said, looking up at him over her long eyelashes. Jess leaned down and kissed her on the mouth, letting all of his love and affection fall into the kiss. Rory moaned softly, and Jess pulled away.

"No fair." Rory said. Now it was her turn to pout.

"Well, you said make it good." Jess teased, slowly backing away.

"Gah, fine. I'll see you later." Rory said angrily, stalking up the steps.

"Hey Rory?"

"Yes?" she huffed, irritated.

"I love you." Jess said simply, smiling slightly. He knew she wouldn't stay mad at him for long, and just after he said it, Rory bounded down the steps and into his arms, kissing him passionately. She pulled away, her cheeks flushed, eyes bright.

"I'll never get tired of hearing you say that," she said, smiling. "I love you, too." Rory gave Jess a quick peck on the lips and wriggled out of his arms. He tried to hold her there, but didn't succeed. "Sorry, I gotta go help my mom," she said as she ran up the stairs. "She's getting married today!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jess said, smirking. "See you later?"

"Definitely," Rory replied, just before closing the door. She turned around and was met face to face with the woman she had just been talking about, Lorelai Gilmore.

"Mom, hi!" Rory said, smiling nervously.

"Hello, offspring. May I ask, where on earth have you been?" Lorelai said, semi-angrily.

"Well, Jess and I--"

"Ah, Jess. So, what's the deal with you two? Are you back together?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, we are," Rory answered, beaming.

"That's great, hun." Lorelai said, returning her smile. She pulled her in for a hug, and squeezed her more tightly than usual. Rory let out a small yelp.

"Ow, Mom, what was that for?" Rory said, rubbing her ribs. "I think you might have broken something!"

"That's for not informing me that you wouldn't be returning to our room last night. Don't let it happen again, ok?" Lorelai said.

"Ok, ok." Rory conceded.

"Great. Now that we've got that settled, let's start getting ready!" Lorelai shouted.

"Ok!" The two Gilmore girls ran up the stairs quickly, into their room, and shut the door. Only the bridesmaids, meaning Sookie and Rory, were allowed in there, so everything was set.

"Ready ladies?" Lorelai asked excitedly.

"Yeah!" Rory and Sookie cheered in unison. Just then, a knock was heard on the door. Rory walked to the door and opened it an inch, blocking the room from sight. It was Luke.

"Yes?" Rory asked.

"Can I come in?" Luke asked. "I haven't said good morning to Lorelai yet."

"Well, you just did. Goodbye, Mr. Danes, no boys allowed!" Rory stated as she shut the door, smiling to herself. Lorelai looked at her fiercely, then smiled.

"That's my girl," Lorelai said as she finished tying her robe and sat down on a chair to get her hair started. Rory smiled.

"Alright, here we go..." Rory said as she picked up a brush and some bobby pins. "Sookie, start the music."

"What music?" Lorelai asked, oblivious.

"Your getting ready for the wedding of your life music!" Sookie said as she ran over to the CD player and pushed play.

"Aw, this really _is_ the best pre-wedding ever!" Lorelai said, smiling. Rory laughed, and began work on her mother's hair.

* * *

"Jess!" Luke shouted gruffly. "Jess! Jess!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Jess muttered as he walked swiftly across his room and into Luke's room. They were conveniently right next door to each other.

"What is it?" Jess asked, out of breath.

"Just wanted to make sure you were actually in there, and weren't skipping out on me or something," Luke said, pleased with himself. He turned around and reached for his tuxedo pants.

"Well, I'm still here. I was here the last 5 times you checked, and I'm _still _going to be here when you check again in ten minutes," Jess said, irritated.

"Good," Luke said, smiling.

"Now, can I go back to getting ready?" Jess asked. "I was in the middle of doing my hair when you so rudely beckoned me here."

"Sure, sure, go ahead," Luke said as he turned around and grabbed his starched white shirt. "But, could ya hurry? We only have 20 more minutes until we have to head down there. So, don't waste all of your time primping."

"Fine." Jess said, walking quickly from the room. He returned to his bathroom and grabbed his comb and gel. He squirted a large portion of the gel onto his hands, then ran his fingers through his hair. He combed through it, making sure it looked perfect. It did. He smiled, and then went over to where is suit was hanging, just next to his bed. He grabbed everything and put it on quickly, being careful not to wrinkle any of it. He grabbed the tie and slung it around his neck, walking toward the mirror again. As soon as he finished tying it, he surveyed his appearance in the mirror.

"Perfect," he said to himself. He checked the clock. "Good, I've got time," Jess said as he walked over to Luke's room and knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" he heard Luke mumble quietly.

"Luke, it's Jess, can I come in?"

"Uh huh, sure," Luke grumbled. Jess walked into the room and almost laughed at the sight in front of him. Luke's tie was knotted in three different places, none of which were correct, and it was hanging loosely around his neck.

"Need some help, Luke?" Jess asked, laughing.

"Shut up, don't laugh at me," Luke said quietly. "And yes, please." Jess walked over and tied Luke's tie, making it look perfect.

"There. I am a genius," Jess said, smirking.

"Yeah, you're also a smart ass," Luke said. "So, are you ready? The ceremony's going to start in a few minutes."

"Ready as I'll ever be," Jess said, checking his tie once more.

"Done primping?" Luke teased.

"Yes," Jess said. "Ready?"

"Yup." Luke said quickly.

"Let's go."

* * *

Jess stood at the front of the ceremony, next to Luke. Luke was fidgeting.

"Luke, cool it." Jess whispered.

"Sorry, I'm nervous."

"Don't be." Jess said. The music started, and the ceremony was underway. Jess looked down the aisle and saw Sookie walking, smiling as if it were her own wedding day. As soon as she reached the front, Jess saw Rory. She looked absolutely beautiful: her dark teal dress fit her form perfectly, and her hair was pulled into a side bun with tendrils of curly hair framing her perfect face. She looked up at Jess, and he winked. She blushed. As she reached the front, she cast one more quick look at Jess, then took her place next to Sookie. And then, just like that, it was time. The music started, and everyone stood. The whole town was there: Miss Patty, Babette, Kirk, Gypsie. Even Taylor was there. Jess looked to Luke, who was anxiously awaiting Lorelai's entrance. Suddenly, there she was, Richard on her right, guiding her down the aisle. Jess saw Luke smile, and heard him sigh, relieved. Lorelai made her way to the front, and Richard handed her off to Luke. They walked towards the pastor hand in hand.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of these two people, Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes, in the eyes of God and all of these witnesses present." The pastor began. However, Jess barely heard a word of what the pastor was saying, because he only had eyes for Rory. He just couldn't stop staring at her. She knew he was watching her, and it made her laugh to see him squirm when she didn't immediately lock eyes with him. After a few minutes, she finally looked up, and the pair locked eyes. It still amazed Rory what a powerful hold Jess had over her: just looking at him made the whole world disappear around her. It was nobody but them. She smiled, and he smirked at her, raising an eyebrow. She returned her gaze back to the ceremony: the vows had started. Lorelai was first.

"Luke. The moment I met you, I knew I had found one of my best friends. It was just a plus that you happened to serve the best coffee in town, and that your diner had the best apple pie I had ever tasted. What attracted me to you first was that you helped Rory. She was lost in the middle of town, and had sat down in front of your diner, crying. You helped her, took care of her; as soon as I saw that, I knew that I wanted you in my life. Over the years, we both denied our attraction, saying it was friendship. But, the whole world knew better. Asking you to marry me was the best decision I ever made. I love you, Luke Danes, and I can't imagine a life without you. Thank you for helping me realize who I wanted to be, who I want to be. And who I want to be is with you: forever." Lorelai finished, smiling. She looked into Luke's eyes, and saw that they were teary. Just the sight made her tear up a little. Now it was Luke's turn.

"Lorelai Gilmore. I've never told you this before, but I guess now would probably be the best time: I fell in love with you the first time I saw you. You and I were both so young, but I could tell that I wanted, no, _needed_ you in my life. Our friendship has been one that I could never have thought of having with any human being on this planet, and I thank you so much for opening that door to me. You have a special hold over me, Lorelai, one that no one else has. I can't explain it, but, every time I see you, my heart starts racing, I smile, and I know that I want this feeling to last. Thank you so much for coming into my life that day, you sincerely changed my life. I love you, Lorelai, more than I've ever loved anyone or anything. I will love you until the end of time, and I am so thankful to be spending the rest of my life with you," Luke said, looking at Lorelai. They were both crying, happy tears.

"May I see the rings, please?" the pastor asked Jess. Jess took the two rings out of his pocket and handed them to the pastor quickly. "Thank you. Lucas Danes, do you take Lorelai Gilmore as your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Luke said.

"Take this ring, and put it on her left ring finger, saying these words: With this ring, I thee wed." The pastor instructed.

"With this ring, I thee wed," Luke said softly, slipping the ring onto Lorelai's finger. The pastor turned to Lorelai.

"Lorelai Gilmore, do you take Lucas Danes as your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"You bet I do." Lorelai said, getting a laugh from the audience.

"Take this ring, and put it on his left ring finger, saying these words: With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring," Lorelai sniffed. "I thee wed." Luke and Lorelai stood, smiling at each other.

"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." The pastor said, motioning to Luke. Luke happily obliged, pulling Lorelai in for a passionate kiss. Everyone stood up and cheered, clapping loudly, including Jess and Rory. "Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you for the very first time: Mr. and Mrs. Luke Danes," the pastor shouted over the uproar. Luke and Lorelai walked down the aisle hand in hand, smiling widely.

"Let's party!" Lorelai shouted, still smiling. The crowd cheered, and everyone headed off to the Inn, ready for the reception. Jess smiled and looked over at Rory, who was watching him. He held out his hand to her.

"Are you ready to party?" Jess asked, smiling.

"Oh, you bet I am," Rory answered, taking his hand and lacing their fingers. They walked right behind Luke and Lorelai to the reception, ready for the evening ahead.

* * *

As soon as everyone was seated, they began to eat the fantastic food that Sookie had prepared. When they were all stuffed, the speeches began. Jess was first, then Rory, just like it had been at the rehearsal dinner. Everyone clapped, especially after Jess' speech: none of them had known he could speak in full sentences until that very moment. After their speeches, a few more townspeople gave speeches: Miss Patty and Babette had a combined speech, in which they spoke of the gossip that Luke and Lorelai had caused over the years, Kirk, explaining his happiness for the couple in his socially awkward way, and even Taylor made a speech, saying he was happy that they had finally found each other. As soon as Taylor sat down, the DJ, Lane, took that as her cue to get the party started. She grabbed a mic.

"It is now the customary time in the evening for the bride and groom to share their first dance as a married couple," Lane said sweetly. "So, Luke and Lorelai, if you would be so kind," she added, motioning to the dance floor. Lorelai bounced up quickly, grabbing Luke's hand and pulling him to his feet. They walked over to the dance floor happily. They took their positions, and Lane hit play. Gavin DeGraw's "We Belong Together" began to blare over the speakers, and Rory and Jess smiled in unison. It was the perfect song to describe the couple, and Rory was glad she had picked it. Lorelai glanced over Luke's shoulder and smiled hugely at Rory, mouthing the words 'Thank you'. After a little while, the song ended, and Lane really decided to get the party started. She started a power jam, with a few classic 80's tunes, adding in some ACDC and The Clash for good measure. After a few fast songs, Lane played "Shout" and "Y.M.C.A.", the classic songs to be played at a wedding reception. Everyone participated, even Jess. As the songs gained momentum, Rory decided she had to take a break, pulling Jess with her. She plopped down on the chair, breathing heavily.

"Geez, what is Lane trying to do, kill everyone?" Rory asked between gulps of air. Jess handed her a glass of water, out of breath himself.

"I. Don't. Know." he wheezed. When he finally caught his breath, he laughed. "She is on a pretty sweet power jam right now, though, you have to admit."

Rory returned his smile. "That's for sure. I'm all tired now, though."

"I can fix that," Jess said quickly as he sat down behind her, beginning to massage her shoulders.

"That feels so good, you have_ no_ idea," Rory moaned quietly. Jess smiled, and continued his work. After awhile, Rory turned around and faced him.

"Thank you," she said simply.

"You're welcome." Jess replied. He knew she was wondering why he hadn't kissed her yet, and he laughed softly. She looked at him expectantly, but he played dumb. Rory let out an angry huff, and that made Jess' smile widen. Just then, Gavin DeGraw's "More Than Anyone" came on.

"_Finally_," Jess said. Rory was still looking away at him, angry. He went to stand in front of her.

"Can I help you?" Rory asked, not looking him in the eye.

"Rory Gilmore, will you dance with me?" Jess asked, holding out his hand. She turned to him, a mixture of shock and pleasure on her face. He smiled at her, and knew he had her. She stood up, grabbing his hand for the second time that evening.

"Yes, I will," Rory said, smiling. They walked out on the dance floor, and Rory draped her arms around his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. They danced in silence until the song ended, content with being in each other's arms. As the final chords rang out from the speakers, Rory gave Lane a pointed look, signaling for her to start another slow song. Lane caught her drift and immediately started another song; Rory smiled. They danced for a couple of seconds, and then Jess pulled away a little bit, loosening his grip on Rory. Rory wasn't sure what had just happened.

"Jess? Is everything ok?" she asked worriedly. He smiled, and that set her at ease.

"Everything's fine. I just love you." Jess replied simply. He grabbed her face between his hands and kissed her, not caring if anyone saw. She happily obliged, and wrapped her arms around his waist. He smiled, and pulled away, giving her one last tender kiss. She smiled back at him.

"God, I've been wanting to do that all day," Jess said as he pulled her close again. "I missed you." He whispered in her ear. Rory smiled, and rested her head in the crook of his neck, letting his scent overtake her senses.

"I missed you, too." She said quietly. They danced for a long time after that, Lane stringing together an endless array of slow songs, just for them. However, Lorelai eventually started to get bored, so she yelled at Lane for a more upbeat song. Lane obliged, and Rory and Jess just stood there, holding each other. After the song, Lorelai shouted: "Let's eat cake!" and everyone walked over to the cake table. Rory smiled: the cake was just as her mother had described, only it looked much better in person. Luke and Lorelai each cut their respective slices and fed each other, smiling. Everyone cheered, and then realized that the reception was coming to a close. Lorelai grabbed a mic, still holding onto Luke's hand.

"Everyone, Luke and I want to thank you so much for coming, it really means a lot to us that you could all be here to share this with us," Lorelai stated, smiling. "We love you all, and we hope you had a good time!" Everyone cheered at that. Lorelai smiled. "Well, long story short: as much fun as this is, I have one more thing to do." Lorelai said, pulling out her bouquet. All of the women gasped, and began to form a large crowd behind Lorelai, Rory included. Lorelai turned around, and shouted "One, Two, Three!", throwing the bouquet over her shoulder. Rory was shocked when she felt the object fall into her hands. She looked at it, smiling. Then she looked up to see Jess, who was raising an eyebrow at her and smirking suggestively.

"Woo hoo, Rory caught my bouquet! Awesome!" Lorelai shouted as she turned around, jumping off the stage. She went up to Rory and hugged her. "Way to go, kiddo. I've taught you well." Rory just smiled in return, knowing what was coming next. Lorelai looked at her sadly, still smiling. "I guess it's time, huh?" Lorelai said so that only Rory could here. Rory nodded again, tears forming in her eyes. The women hugged as Luke and Jess approached, not knowing why their women were crying.

Luke put his hand on Lorelai's shoulder. "Hey, are you ready to go?" he asked quietly.

Lorelai pulled away from Rory, wiping at her mascara. "I am now," she answered. "Is the car outside?"

"Yup."

"Ok, then, I'm ready to go to Mexico!" Lorelai shouted, now excited.

"Alrighty then," Luke replied, confused at her mood swing. Rory stepped back from her mother, smiling now. Jess took her into his arms, also confused at her actions. He shrugged it off, knowing it was probably a 'Gilmore Thing'.

"Ok, Mom. Don't forget to get ridiculously tan, buy a bunch of random things with your American money that we can put around the house in random places, and eat all of the Mexican food that you can!" Rory said, going over her mental checklist out loud.

"Um, you _know _I will," Lorelai answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She and Luke began to walk toward the doors as everyone threw rice and blew bubbles, shouting their best wishes. Lorelai waved at them all before finally opening the doors and getting in her car. She rolled down the window and saw Rory and Jess standing there, hand in hand.

"Jess?" she asked quickly.

"Uh, yeah?" Jess asked, confused.

"Take care of my daughter while I'm gone, or I'll kick your butt," Lorelai said seriously. She smiled, and Jess smiled back.

"You _know _I will," he responded.

"Good. And Ror?" Lorelai added.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"See you in two weeks!" Lorelai shouted as they drove off. She waved out the window until their car was out of sight.

Rory sighed, and Jess came up behind her, putting his arms around her from behind and placing his chin on her shoulder.

"Are you ready for these two weeks?" He murmured quietly in her ear.

"Well, I don't know. Whatever are we going to do..." Rory answered quietly.

Jess smirked. "I'm sure we'll be able to think of something."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys, sorry I haven't been able to update recently: my grandma and cousins are here. This is the first free time I've gotten in a while to write, so I'm taking advantage of it. Thanks so much for all of your reviews, I really appreciate them! Please keep reading and reviewing, that would be awesome!**

* * *

******TWO WEEKS LATER**

Rory shifted her weight in her sleep, and Jess woke up. He looked down at her, making sure everything was ok. He thought she looked adorable: she was wearing a pair of his sweatpants and one of his tank tops, her hair pulled back into a messy bun. He sighed happily and kissed her on top of the head, throwing a glance over at the clock. He counted off the hours on his fingers. _"Five, six, seven, eight... Nine hours until Luke and Lorelai get back," _he thought to himself. He smiled. As much as he hated to admit it, he had actually missed Luke and Lorelai these two weeks. He knew that Rory was ten times as excited as he was, because she had never been apart from her mom for this long. Plus, Rory was graduating from Yale that week; she was glad that everybody important in her life (meaning Jess, Lorelai, Luke, Sookie, and Jackson) would be there to see her.

"Oh geez, I can't believe she's graduating," Jess whispered to himself as he looked back down at Rory. She smiled in her sleep, and Jess smiled in return. He sat up a little and grabbed his book, turning the lamp on next to him. He made sure it didn't shine in her eyes, and then began to read. Rory moved again, and snuggled closer to Jess. He put an arm around her, pulling her to himself, and continued to read for a half hour, checking in on Rory periodically. At about 11:00 am, Rory's eyelids fluttered open, and she awoke to the sight of Jess' bare chest. Confused, she looked up at him and saw him smiling down at her. He put down his book, and she smiled, snuggling into him again.

Jess laughed. "Good morning, sleepy head."

"Mmm... Good morning." Rory greeted sleepily. She sat up, and Jess' arm fell off her shoulders. As it grazed her ribs, she giggled. _"Uh oh," _she thought. _"Big mistake..."_

Jess suddenly remembered that Rory was ticklish. He smirked, and then began to tickle her ribs. Rory tried to squirm away from him, but he was bigger than her, and stronger. She couldn't stop laughing.

"Jess. Stop. Tickling. Me. Now!" Rory managed to say between bursts of laughter.

"I'm sorry, what? I couldn't hear you." Jess shouted over her as she continued to laugh uncontrollably.

"I. Said. STOP!" Rory shouted, still laughing. She tried to push Jess off, but her body was weak from laughing. Instead, she thought of a way to remedy the situation: she looked up at Jess, and made his eyes lock with hers. As soon as she had captivated his attention, he stopped, mesmerized by her. She pushed him off and rolled on top of him, neither of them saying a word. Jess raised an eyebrow at her, and she giggled. She reached over him and grabbed her cell phone off the night stand.

"Sorry, had to grab my phone," she said, looking up at him.

"Huh." Jess murmured quietly. He was breathing slowly, unsure of what was happening. Rory smirked, and put her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat: it was beating really, really quickly. She smiled, loving the reaction she got out of him. She picked up her head and laughed. Jess looked at her, confused. She rolled her eyes, and gave him a peck on the lips. As she was about to pull away, however, he deepened the kiss, making her sigh.

"That's not fair," she said breathlessly. "If you keep doing that, we'll never leave this room."

"And that would be a problem because..." Jess asked, smiling.

"Well, I would have no problem with that. But, I do think there is a chance that the next tenants of this room wouldn't find it so nice if we were in here when they arrived." Rory replied, matching his smile.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't have a problem with that..." Jess whispered suggestively as he began to kiss her neck. Rory moaned quietly, and moved her hair to allow him better access. Jess smiled and continued his actions, spending some extra time sucking on her pulse point. Her breathing became ragged, and she brought her lips to his. He quickly obliged, and began to kiss her passionately. She had to pull away, because she was running out of air.

"Geez, how do you _do _that?" Rory whispered, still out of breath.

"Well, it's pretty easy..." Jess replied, smiling when Rory blushed. He kissed her on the tip of the nose, and she giggled, giving him a tender kiss on the lips in return.

"As fun as _this _is," Rory said as she pulled away. "We have to start getting ready." She reluctantly moved off of Jess and stood up, stretching.

"No fair," Jess pouted. "I was having a good time." Rory turned to him and cocked an eyebrow as she walked over to her side of the bed and fixed the sheets. She laughed at the look on his face: he looked like a 4-year-old that had just gotten his favorite toy taken away. She walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh, come on, you big baby," Rory teased, knowing that this would get him all riled up.

"I'm not a baby," Jess said, standing up. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her to him quickly, kissing her with desire. They pulled away when air began to become an issue, as it often did in their heated make-out sessions.

"Obviously not," Rory whispered quietly as she pulled away. Jess smiled in return. "Well, Mr. Adult, since you're so mature, how about you make some coffee for us while I shower?" Rory asked as she bounced away toward the bathroom.

"Wh--What?" Jess asked, baffled. "You want coffee." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Ooh, yes please!" Rory said happily as she walked up to him and gave him a quick kiss.

"I feel so used." Jess joked.

Rory smiled. "Aw, don't worry about it. Even if I wasn't in love with you, I would _still _use you to make me coffee."

"Really?"

"Yes," she answered, smiling.

"Gee, thanks, that makes me feel so much better," Jess replied as she began to walk away. "Even if I wasn't in love with you, I would still _make _you coffee," he said as he walked past her toward the kitchen, kissing her on the shoulder. Rory just smiled and ran into the bathroom, shutting the door quickly behind her.

* * *

Jess laughed as he got the coffee beans out of the fridge. Rory kept them in there because she said that it made the flavor 'last longer'. It was a trick that Lorelai had taught her, no doubt. Jess put in two tablespoons and started the coffee maker as he walked over to the cabinet and took out two mugs. He set them on the table and walked over to the freezer, taking out the frozen waffles. He put a few in the toaster for himself, and then put in a few more for Rory. He set the table, and then went to go get the New York Times. Rory had it delivered to her dorm room; she didn't want to miss any important news. When he came back into the room, he didn't hear the shower, so he sat down at the table and waited for Rory. About five minutes later, she came out of the bathroom, her hair still slightly damp. As she took in the sight of the kitchen, she smiled and ran over to Jess.

"This looks great!" Rory squealed as she kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks!"

Jess ushered her over to her chair and pulled it out for her. Rory sat down quickly, and Jess walked over to the coffee pot, grabbing her plate of waffles at the same time. As he put the plate down, he had an extreme sense of deja vu from when he used to work at Luke's and do this sort of thing every day. Rory looked up at him expectantly.

"Hey Jess?" she asked sweetly.

"Hmm?" He asked, knowing what she was about to ask.

"Could you get me the butter out of the fridge?" Rory said sweetly. Jess laughed and grabbed the spread out of the fridge, bringing it to her. She smiled and put it on her waffles.

"Coffee?" Jess asked, still trapped in his deja vu.

"Um, do you _have_ to ask?" Rory asked him.

"What's the magic word?" Jess teased, knowing that Rory hated to wait, especially for coffee.

"Jess, may I _please _have some coffee?" Rory begged as she held her cup out to him. He laughed and poured it in. Rory took a huge sip and smiled as the warmth from the beverage spread throughout her whole body, all the way down to her toes. "Mmmmm, you've been practicing," she murmured happily.

"Excuse me?"

"With your coffee. You used to make a really crappy cup of coffee, and this one is actually really good. Congratulations." Rory said, laughing.

"I try," Jess retorted as he sat down and dug into his waffles. They ate breakfast in comfortable silence, eventually opening up to comfortable conversation. They read the paper, and Jess listened to Rory explain things that he already knew about. As Rory downed her third cup of coffee, she finally sat back and sighed.

"That was actually the best breakfast I've had in a really long time," she said happily as she got up and went to sit on Jess' lap. He backed away from the table so that she would have more space.

"Well, thanks. But, I can't really take all the credit, I mean, the toaster _did _help," he responded sarcastically.

Rory smiled and kissed him sweetly. "Well then, I guess I should be thanking the toaster..."

"No, he wouldn't appreciate your thanks," Jess answered, not wanting her to get up. He couldn't help thinking that this whole scenario felt comfortable and _right. _He could easily see himself spending all of his mornings like this with Rory for the rest of his life. Jess smiled and kissed Rory's cheek. She was eyeing the waffles that he hadn't finished.

"Jess, are you going to waste those waffles?" Rory asked.

"Well, I was planning on just throwing them away. Why, do you want them?" Jess laughed, knowing the obvious answer.

"Yeah! Never waste waffles. It should be like, a law or something," Rory said as she took his fork and began taking small bites of his breakfast. When she finished those off, Jess laughed again, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"You, Rory Gilmore, are amazing," he said simply.

She turned around to face him. "And you, Jess Mariano, are a fantastic breakfast chef/waiter."

"Aw, gee, thanks," he replied sarcastically, smiling.

"Any time."

* * *

Jess buckled his belt and tied his shoes, checking his watch for the umpteenth time in the past 20 minutes. They needed to leave soon, or they were going to be late picking up Luke and Lorelai at the airport.

"Rory!" he shouted as he put on some after shave.

"What?" she semi-shouted in return. He couldn't really hear her scream, though, because it was muffled by the bathroom door.

"We need to go!" Jess replied as he walked up to the bathroom.

"I'm ready! Let's go!" Rory said quickly as she ran out of the bathroom. She grabbed a book, her purse, and Jess' leather jacket, putting it on.

"Um, that's mine." Jess teased as he came up behind her, grabbing his own book and wallet.

"Nope. Since we're dating, I have shared custody of this item of clothing, thank you very much," Rory replied as she opened the door and headed toward the car. Jess laughed and shut the door behind him, coming up behind her to wrap his arm around her shoulders before they made it to the car. Rory nestled closer to him, and he opened her car door for her, helping her in. He got in on his side and started the car as she reached for the radio. She was perplexed when Jess stopped her hand and pushed CD instead, but smiled when she heard "The Love Shack" by the B52s come on.

"'The Love Shack'? I would have taken you for more of a 'Rock Lobster' kind of guy," Rory teased, smiling at him.

Jess smiled back. "Well, I totally love 'Rock Lobster', but this girl that I happen to be in love with said that 'The Love Shack' was her favorite song, so I made her a little CD."

"You made me a CD?" Rory asked, excited.

"Yes, I did."

"Well, what songs are on it?" Rory pressed.

"I'm not telling, it's a surprise," Jess responded, still looking at the road. He reached over and grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers. Rory smiled at the gesture and sat back, listening to the melody that the B52s had created. Jess listened along as well, happy with himself, and also happy that she liked his little surprise. As the final phrases of the song sounded throughout the car, Jess grinned, knowing that she wouldn't be expecting the next song. He was right: as the starting notes of "You're Pretty Good Lookin' (For A Girl)" by the White Stripes came on, Rory let out a small squeak, beaming.

"The White Stripes? Really Jess?"

"Yes, the White Stripes. All of the songs on this are songs that make me think of you," Jess declared as Rory looked at him in awe.

"Really?" she whispered quietly.

"Yes. But that's the only hint you're getting," Jess stated.

"Aw, Jess," Rory murmured quietly as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, putting her head on his shoulder. "This is the nicest thing anyone has ever made for me, thank you."

Jess kissed her on top of the head. "No problem." They drove along the highway toward the airport cheerfully, listening to the various compositions that Jess had put on the CD. As they reached the last song, number 13, Jess cracked a smile. This was his favorite song on the whole CD, the song they had danced their first slow dance to. When Gavin DeGraw's "More Than Anyone" came on, Rory broke into a huge smile, sighing happily.

"Oh Jess," she breathed. "This is... _perfect_."

"I'm glad you like it, Ror," Jess said quietly as he turned onto the exit for the airport. The young couple sat in silence, listening contentedly. Jess turned into the parking garage just as the song ended. Rory sat up, fixing her hair and putting on lip gloss. Jess watched her, waiting. She finished and looked over at him.

"Are you ready?" he asked, smiling nervously.

"Yeah," she answered as he got out and walked over to her door, opening it for her. She got out, and she laced their fingers together again as they walked toward the airport terminal, anxiously awaiting the return of her mother and Luke.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate the reviews, they make the writing so much more fun! I had some more free time today, so I decided I'd write this chapter. Thanks so much for reading, I love you guys! Feel free to spread the word about my story to your friends. **

**Thanks again,**

**soonerchick7**

* * *

Rory and Jess were waiting in the airport terminal, and Rory was fidgeting. She would stand up, pace around for a little while, sit down. She would twiddle her thumbs for a few seconds and then repeat the whole sequence again. Jess thought it was cute, but it was slowly starting to drive him a little crazy. He was nervous too, and it didn't help that Rory was keeping him on edge. She sat down again, and Jess grabbed her hand before she could commence the twiddling. She looked at him as he laced their fingers together, rubbing soothing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. She let out a quick series of breaths, and closed her eyes.

"Ror, it's going to be fine, ok? What are you so nervous for, anyway?" Jess asked soothingly.

"I know it's going to be fine. And I'm not nervous. I'm anxious." Rory said quickly, her breathing slowing as he continued to soothe her.

"Aren't nervous and anxious the same thing?" he asked, confused.

"No. Nervous would imply that I've done something wrong, or that I have to ask my mother an important question that I don't necessarily want to hear the answer to. Anxious implies that I am excited, because I haven't seen my Mom in two weeks, and I miss her," Rory stated matter-of-factly.

Jess smiled. "Oh, I'm sorry, my mistake. But, could you please, for me, just _calm down _a little? You're starting to make me anxious, too."

Rory looked at him and sighed, putting her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm just impatient. I hate waiting, you know that," she said quietly.

"Yeah, I know," Jess teased, bringing her hand to his face and kissing it.

"Alright, now I'm calm. I think I'll read." Rory said quickly, pulling her book out of her purse.

"Good plan," Jess replied as he took his novel out of his back pocket. The two sat in silence for a while, and Rory scooted closer to Jess, leaning against him as she read. He smiled, and kissed her on the top of the head. They continued to read for awhile, and then they heard it: Luke and Lorelai's flight was landing. Rory let out a squeal of excitement, and Jess let out a worried breath. He stood and grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers once again. He needed her for support, for sanity, if he was going to be honest with himself. He had no idea why he was freaking out so much, it's not like he'd never met Lorelai. But, he hadn't officially asked her if it would be ok if he was dating Rory again. Rory and Jess walked to the waiting area, Rory skipping happily. Jess had decided on the way that it might be a good idea if he bought Lorelai some flowers, to soften her up a bit before asking. He picked out some light butterscotch-colored daisies, and Rory said that her mom would like them. He was holding the flowers in one hand, and Rory's hand in the other; he was ready for anything. The huge exodus of people slowly poured out of the arrival gate, and Jess looked around expectantly, impatiently. Jess looked at her, laughing, and then saw the smile on her face grow huge.

"MOM!" Rory shouted across the sea of people, receiving a few dirty looks in the process. Jess looked up to see Luke and Lorelai, hand in hand, just as he and Rory were standing. Luke was grinning like a lovesick puppy, and both of them were impeccably tan.

"RORY!!" Lorelai shouted back as she dropped Luke's hand and ran over to her daughter/best friend. They hugged and squealed, each of them talking about the honeymoon. Rory asked the questions, Lorelai provided the answers.

"So, how was the room? How was the beach? How was the food? How was... you know..." Rory hinted suggestively at the last subject, not wanting to make things awkward for Jess. It wasn't her fault that she and her mother had a _very_ close relationship. Jess saw Lorelai blush at the last question.

"The room was amazing, we had a fantastic view of the ocean. The beach was fantastic: I followed your advice and got really ridiculously tan." Lorelai counted off on her fingers while Rory laughed. "The food was pretty good, but Luke makes a better cup of coffee. And 'it' was _amazing_." Lorelai whispered the last answer, putting an emphasis on the last word. Jess gagged a little, not wanting to think about his uncle and his girlfriend's mother in bed. It was then that Luke finally joined them, pulling his and Lorelai's suitcases behind him. He dropped them and laughed at his wife and step-daughter, finally spotting Jess.

"Jess! Hey!" Luke shouted over the quick-talking women.

"Hey, Luke," Jess greeted in response as they man-hugged. Neither of them was comfortable with showing much emotion in public. "How was the flight?"

"The flight was pretty good, first class really is worth the extra bucks," Luke said, still grinning like an idiot. "How have your past two weeks been?"

"They've been great, honestly. I've started on my new book, a sequel to 'The Subsect'. And Rory graduates in a few days, so she's pretty excited," Jess said as he glanced over at his Gilmore Girl.

"A sequel? Huh. That's great, Jess, congrats," Luke said, patting Jess on the back. It was then that Rory and Lorelai finally stopped talking and looked at the two men. Jess suddenly became aware that he was being watched, so he turned to look at the two women. Rory was smiling at him encouragingly, and Lorelai was staring at Luke. Jess took that as his time to 'pounce'.

He cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Lorelai, these are for you," he said nervously as he handed her the bouquet.

"Oh, Jess, these are beautiful, thank you!" Lorelai said as she took the flowers.

"No problem," he said quietly. Jess wasn't sure where to go from here, exactly. Luckily, Lorelai took the lead, pulling him in for a hug. He hugged her back, knowing that there would soon be a comment involved with his sudden willingness to hug her. He was right.

"Wow, Rory, it's a historic day in history. Jess Mariano just hugged me," Lorelai joked as she pulled away.

Rory laughed. "You know, Mom, he's actually been getting better about that. He even speaks in full sentences now, I finally broke him of his mono-syllabic Jess-ness."

"Ha. 'Jess-ness'," Lorelai laughed.

"Mom, don't even start," Rory warned. Jess and Luke looked at each other, confused.

"Well, uh, I think we should get the luggage," Luke grumbled. "And then we can go eat."

"Ooh, yeah, I'm starved!" Lorelai and Rory said in unison. Jess laughed, forgetting about their Freaky Friday tendencies. They walked over to the baggage claim, and Rory pulled Luke in front to distract him, giving Jess an encouraging nod. Jess smiled nervously, and Rory turned around, asking Luke about Mexico.

"So..." Lorelai said awkwardly. She still wasn't sure how to talk to Jess.

"Lorelai, can I talk to you about something?" Jess asked quietly.

"Um, yes?" Lorelai answered in a question.

"Ok, I know I didn't ask you this before, but I'm going to ask, well, more like _tell_ you now," Jess rambled out.

"Ok..." Lorelai responded, not sure where this was going.

"Lorelai, I would like permission to date your daughter. Again." Jess said after a few minutes of struggle.

Lorelai smiled, and began to laugh. Jess wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one. He looked at her nervously.

"Uh, Lorelai?"

"What?" she asked still laughing. "Oh, oh, yeah, you can date Rory again," she said more seriously. "I appreciate that you thought to ask me, that was a really mature thing to do of you," Lorelai said as she smiled at him.

Jess let out a relived sigh. "So, you're ok with it? With us?"

"Of course I am. Just explain to me one thing: what makes this time different than the last two times?" Lorelai said, needing confirmation that Jess really was a 'changed man', as Rory had said.

"Huh." Jess said as he thought. "This time is different because... because... because this time, I'm in love with her." He said simply.

"You're what?" Lorelai asked, not believing what Jess had just said. A smile began to form on her face.

"I'm in love with your daughter, Lorelai." Jess said simply. He had never let himself be so vulnerable with her before; the only person he had ever opened up to was Rory.

"Well. That's sure as hell a good enough answer for me," Lorelai said as they finally reached the baggage claim. She hugged Jess again, and he hugged her back again. "That part of you still freaks me out though," she said, laughing.

"Which part?" Jess asked, confused.

"The whole 'Jess being affectionate with someone' part," Lorelai said.

"Oh, that. Well, Rory told me that I should try to open up to more people, so that's what I'm doing." Jess said as he glanced at Rory who was semi-absorbed in her conversation with Luke. He could tell by the way she was glancing over that she wanted to know how the conversation with her mother had gone.

"Well, ok, if you say so." Lorelai responded, turning to look for her bag. "I'll just have to get used to the new you."

"So will I." Jess responded. Rory ended her conversation quickly with Luke and walked speedily over to Jess.

"Well?" She asked, not sure of how things had gone.

"She said yes," Jess answered, beaming.

"What?! She said _yes_??" Rory whisper-screamed. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Jess said, laughing at her excitement.

"Oh my God!" Rory squealed, attracting the attentions of Luke and Lorelai. She ran over to Lorelai and hugged her tightly, while Luke looked at the Gilmore Girls with a confused expression. "Oh my God!" Rory squealed again as she ran over to Jess, who was waiting with open arms. They hugged, and she kissed him sweetly. He kissed her back, and then eventually put her back on the ground; in their happiness, he had managed to pick Rory up and swing her around unknowingly. He looked around at the other passengers, not caring that they were looking at the four people in the middle of baggage claim like they had just escaped from an asylum. He didn't care that Luke didn't understand any of it. All he cared about was that Lorelai had said yes.

* * *

They got their bags and finally made it back to the car and got in: Jess and Rory in the front, Luke and Lorelai in the back. All four of them smiling happily. They reminisced about the honeymoon, the past two weeks at home (on Jess and Rory's part), and Rory's upcoming graduation. They talked all the way back to Stars Hollow, receiving looks from the townspeople as they walked into Luke's in pairs. Miss Patty and Babette were seated at a table, gossiping instead of eating; Kirk was seated at the counter, counting the sprinkles on his doughnut; Sookie and Jackson were seated at a table, smiling and laughing as always. When Jess, Rory, Luke, and Lorelai walked into the diner, the whole place went quiet and turned to look at the door. They all seemed to smile in unison.

"Hey everyone!" Lorelai shouted.

"Hey!" shouted Sookie as she stood to greet her friend and business partner. The two women hugged while everyone else watched. Other random greetings were shouted, and Lorelai and Luke tried their best to answer everything. It was then that everyone noticed that Jess and Rory were in the diner as well. And they weren't just in the diner, they were _holding hands _in the diner. Babette and Miss Patty started whispering, and Rory sighed as Jess laughed: they knew that the whole town would learn of their relationship by the next day. They smiled at each other, and Jess slowly started to tug her toward the apartment above the diner, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Rory giggled as Kirk looked at them incredulously, and followed Jess up the stairs as he practically pulled her arm out of the socket.

"Jess!" they both heard Luke yell up the stairs. Jess just laughed and pulled Rory into the apartment, closing the door behind them.

"Jess, what're you--" Rory tried to ask before Jess' lips came crashing down on hers. Rory gasped into his mouth; she hadn't been expecting that. Not like she was complaining, however. They made out for a few minutes until Jess slowly started to pull her toward the leather couch. They both sat down, lips still attached, not wanting to be separated for a second. They were so wrapped up in their own world of ecstasy that they didn't even hear Lorelai open the door.

"Ah! My eyes!!" Lorelai shouted. Rory heard her first, and immediately pulled away from Jess, blushing furiously. Jess didn't look fazed at all, he just smiled and kept his arm around Rory, snuggling into her on the couch.

"Mom! I... uh... we were just... uh..." Rory tried to think of an excuse for what her mom had just walked in on. She couldn't think of one. Jess laughed at her nervousness. _"She's so cute when she's flustered,"_ he thought to himself.

"Hello, Lorelai," he said smoothly. Rory looked at him incredulously. _"How is he not freaking out like me right now?!" _Rory thought.

"Jess," Lorelai greeted, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"May we help you with something?"

"Oh. Uh, I just wanted to ask you if you would mind coming to help Luke downstairs at the diner for a little bit. Everyone in town is down there, and he could really use the help right now." Lorelai said, the smile now spreading across her face completely.

"Sure." Jess said as he stood up, taking Rory's hand.

"Great. I'll see you downstairs," Lorelai said before quickly exiting the room.

Jess turned to Rory. She was pouting. He brought his hand up to caress her face, smiling at her. She looked up at him, and when they locked eyes, Rory's whole world seemed to disappear, like it always did when he looked at her like that. Jess kissed her tenderly on the mouth, and then took her hand, bringing her with him downstairs.

"Come on. We'll continue this later," Jess said as they walked down the stairs.

"Ok," Rory answered, still pouting.

Jess kissed her one more time before opening the curtain, and both he and Rory sighed.

"I'm going to miss you today," Jess mumured quietly.

"Me too," Rory answered him, her voice almost a whisper. Jess couldn't put it off any longer: he opened the curtain and walked into the busy diner to help Luke, not looking forward to the questions he was about to be asked by the townspeople. Sure enough, there was Kirk sitting at the counter as Jess came up to him with the coffee mug.

"Kirk." Jess greeted curtly. He really didn't feel like getting into anything with Kirk right now.

"Jess." Kirk said back quickly. Jess laughed. _"Kirk must still be afraid of me,"_ he thought to himself, smiling. Kirk looked at Jess like he was an alien.

"What?" Jess asked, his voice rising.

"You're... _smiling," _Kirk answered.

Jess glared at him, his smile disappearing. "Better?" he asked rudely.

"Yes," Kirk said quickly. Jess walked away from him, muttering under his breath. He walked over to Sookie and Jackson's table, and they both smiled at him nicely. He smiled back. He didn't mind Sookie, Jackson just kind of freaked him out sometimes with all of his fruit talk. Jess walked around the diner filling coffees, and then he came to the table that he was dreading most: Miss Patty and Babette.

"Hey sugah," Babette greeted.

"Why _hello_, Jess," Miss Patty greeted seductively. Jess just nodded, not wanting to answer either of them. He still remembered when he had stolen Pierpont, Babette's lawn gnome, the first time he came to Stars Hollow. _"Ah, good times,"_ he thought.

"So," Babette said loudly. "Are you and Rory datin' again?" She looked up at him expectantly, smiling like a cheshire cat. Miss Patty, he saw, had the exact same look on her face. _"Ok, let's get this over with quick. Like a band-aid,"_ Jess thought to himself.

He took a deep breath. "Yes."

Both of the elderly women squealed, and Jess took that as his cue to walk away. "Great, that's just great," Jess muttered to himself as he put the coffee pot down. It was then that he spotted Rory sitting at the counter. She smiled at him sweetly, and he winked at her, smiling even bigger when she blushed.

* * *

"Hello, welcome to Luke's," Jess said in his best 'waiter voice'.

Rory laughed.

"What?" Jess asked, mock-offended.

"That was..." Rory tried to say in between laughs. "Hilarious. How long have you been practicing that?" she finally managed to say after calming down a bit.

"I don't know, like, a day," Jess answered, a smile threatening to grace his features for the millionth time that day.

"Oh," Rory said shortly, trying to stifle her laughter.

Jess just shrugged, and then beamed at her. "So, what can I get you?"

"Um..." Rory began to think aloud, not even needing to look at the menu. "Two pancakes with bacon, eggs, and coffee, please."

"Alright," Jess said distractedly as he wrote down her order. He didn't see Rory lean forward, so when he looked up from his order notebook, he jumped slightly.

Rory smiled. She leaned in and kissed him softly, lingering on his lips for a few seconds. "Thanks."

Jess just stood there, dumbfounded. After a few seconds, he finally came out of his stupor and saw Rory smirking at him.

"Uh, yeah," Jess said quickly before handing Rory's order to Ceasar. He went back into the kitchen and walked over to the sink, pouring himself a small glass of cold water. He didn't drink it, however: he poured it over his head. Jess took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly.

"Wow, I've got it bad," he said to himself.

* * *

Rory sat at the counter, smiling, and touched her fingers to her lips, which were still tingling. She hadn't known that she had that effect on Jess, the one he had on her. It was good to know that she could drive him crazy too, sometimes. Jess walked out from the kitchen, and went over to the coffee pot, never looking at her once. Rory was confused. When he walked over to pour her coffee, however, he looked up, and she could've sworn his eyes were two shades darker. He raised an eyebrow at her and slowly started to smirk. Rory felt goosebumps raise on her arms. He handed her the mug.

"Thanks," she said, her voice slightly cracking.

Jess nodded, and then grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, lingering just as she had. Rory looked at him, astounded. Jess looked back up at her, and now he had a full-on smirk on his face. Rory smiled back, trying to hide her blushing cheeks. Jess laughed, still holding Rory's hand.

"Luke!" Jess shouted semi-loudly. Luke was grabbing a few more plates from the kitchen, trying to serve all of his hungry customers.

"What?" Luke answered gruffly as he tried to balance the weights of the four breakfasts he was carrying.

"I'm going on my break." Jess said simply, coming out from behind the counter, his and Rory's fingers still entwined.

Rory smiled at him, knowing where they were headed. She decided to ask anyway. "Jess, where are we going?" she asked as they walked quickly.

"Bridge." he said simply, needing to be alone with her. After a few more seconds, they finally made it to the bridge, _their _bridge. Jess smiled, remembering the countless encounters with Rory he had had on this bridge. The Bid-A-Basket Festival, after the dance marathon when she had just broken up with Dean (that one was his personal favorite). He knew that Rory was remembering too, he could tell by the glassy look of her eyes. He pulled her to the middle of the bridge and turned to face her. He thought he saw her eyes darken, and that was enough for him. He leaned in to kiss her, anxious. But, just as their lips were about to meet, his phone rang.

"Damn it!" he shouted loudly as he took the phone out of his pocket. "Hello?" he answered angrily.

_"Mr. Mariano?"_ the voice on the other line said.

"Yes?"

_"This is Ted LeFay." _

Jess' face immediately fell. Ted LeFay was the head of the English department at his high school. "Um, hello Mr. Lefay. What can I do for you?"

_"I was just wondering how the funeral planning has been going."_

"Oh, it's been going... well." Jess answered quickly, barely remembering the lie Paul had made up for him.

_"Would you mind telling me why it has taken you over a month?"_ LeFay was getting angry now.

"Um, there were some... complications?" Jess answered. It was more of a question than an answer, though.

_"Mr. Mariano, I myself have made arrangements for a funeral, and I know that it doesn't take this long." _LeFay said. _"I have a question to ask you."_

"Ok..." Jess said, nervous.

_"Do you plan on coming back to teach for us in the next few days?" _It wasn't a question, it was an ultimatum.

"Um. No, sir, I don't," Jess said. He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. Sure, he didn't like his job, but had he really just resigned? He looked at Rory, who was watching him with a worried expression on her face.

_"Alright. Thank you. It is my regret to inform you that your teaching abilities will not be required in this or any school year at Butler High School." _Mr. LeFay said quickly.

"Ok." Jess said. "Thank you for the opportunity."

_"Yes. Thank you. Goodbye."_

"Goodbye." Jess said, shutting his phone. He looked at Rory, a smile growing on his face.

Rory was confused. "Who was that? Who's Mr. LeFay? What happened?" she asked all of the questions in quick succession, taking both of Jess' hands in hers.

"Mr. LeFay was my department head at the school that I worked at."

"Worked at? What's with the past tense?" Rory asked quickly.

"I just quit."

"You what?!"

"I quit." Jess said simply.

"Why? I thought you loved your job?" Rory asked, getting kind of irritated.

"I did. But, I love you more," Jess stated before pulling Rory into his arms.

"Oh." Rory whispered as she snuggled into his chest. They stood there on the bridge, silent for a few moments, neither of them needing to fill the quiet.

"Jess?" Rory said quietly after a few minutes.

"Hmm?" Jess didn't want to say anything more. He was content just standing there, holding her.

"I love you." Rory whispered.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, pulling back to look her in the face.

"Yeah." she said, staring right into his eyes. Into his soul. Jess smiled, and Rory liked how the corners of his eyes crinkled a little bit.

Jess didn't say anything, he just pulled her in again, caressing her hair and laying sweet kisses in it.

Rory smiled. _"Wow, I've got it bad," _she thought to herself.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys. Thanks so much for the reviews: monkey-monkey-underpants07, Curley-Q, Ghostwriter, Jeremy Shane, Djux, lillitgirlx2, krymsunkiss52, I-luv-Jess-Mariano (nice name there, btw), and everybody else who doesn't appear on my first page of reviews! They really help to keep me motivated, and I appreciate them so much! Yeah, I'm pretty much having a really intense flow of creative writing energy right now, plus, I have a lot of free time, so I've posted a few chapters in quick succession. Good to know that y'all like them, and please keep reading and reviewing. Thanks again!!**

* * *

The alarm went off, and Jess punched the top of the clock angrily, groaning. He and Rory had gotten back to her dorm room only a few hours earlier, because they had been out to dinner with Lorelai and Luke. The four of them had had a semi-reunion. Well, more like Lorelai and Rory had a semi-reunion; Jess and Luke didn't really say much, they just watched their Gilmore Girls. When Jess finally managed to find the snooze button after a few misplaced punches, he closed his eyes, falling back asleep. Little did he know that Rory's snooze was only set for a minute. The alarm went off again, just as Jess was about to succumb to his dream world. His eyes shot open.

"God!" he shouted, reaching over to the alarm clock, fumbling around for the off button. After about 2 minutes, he finally found it, and shut it off quickly and angrily. He lied back down behind Rory and put his arm around her again, not knowing that the alarm had woken her up. He moved closer to her and she turned around to face him: she wasn't that tired, a couple cups of coffee could fix that. Jess, however, had passed out again. When he felt Rory turn, his head automatically nestled into her neck as he pulled her close. Rory smiled when she felt his stubble tickle her. His breathing became slow and even, and Rory listened, closing her eyes. The rhythm of his breathing calmed her, and she too fell asleep, into another world.

* * *

**Jess' POV**

_Jess sat at the kitchen table in nothing but his boxers sipping a cup of coffee. He always woke up before the sun; he loved to watch it rise. He looked around the kitchen, admiring the homey feel. He rubbed his hands over his face to wake himself up, smiling when he felt the cold metal on his third left finger. He sat in silence, knowing that she wouldn't be up anytime soon. She. Rory, his Rory, his wife, wouldn't be up anytime soon, because she slept like a log. Jess smiled to himself and took up the well-worn novel in front of him. 'The Old Man and the Sea'. "Ah, Ernest," Jess said quietly. "Good morning to you." He opened the book and found his place amongst the water-softened pages and began to read. Jess became so absorbed that he didn't hear the tiny footsteps approaching the table._

_"Daddy?" _

_Jess looked up from his book calmly, smiling at the young girl in front of him. She had dark, thick hair like Jess but piercing blue eyes like Rory. Jess thought his daughter was beautiful, but he thought her eyes were the most amazing part. _

_"Hey, sweetheart," Jess murmured quietly, smiling. _

_His daughter took a few steps closer to him. "What are you doing awake?"_

_"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to watch the sun rise. But, what are _you_ doing awake? Three-year-olds shouldn't be up at this time in the morning," Jess teased her, his smile growing with every word. _

_"Well, if you're awake, then why can't I be?" the child answered, looking up at him with the Gilmore Puppy Dog Eyes. She took another step closer._

_"That sounds reasonable enough," Jess laughed. _

_The girl smiled, showing the front teeth she was missing. _

_"Would you like to join me?" Jess asked, opening his arms. She nodded vigorously and ran to him, jumping into his lap. Jess kissed the top of her head, and she snuggled into him. "Do you know what today is?" he asked. _

_Her head snapped up. "My birthday!" she squealed excitedly._

_"Yes, it is your birthday today!" Jess answered, matching her excitement. "And how old are you today?"_

_She held up four of her tiny fingers. "Four," she answered brightly._

_"That's right! And you know what your first present today is going to be?" Jess quizzed._

_"No, what?" the youngster asked, looking up at him expectantly. _

_Jess motioned towards the large window in the back of the kitchen, the window they were facing. The first rays of the sun were barely starting to become visible. "You get to watch your first sunrise with me," he said quietly, pulling her in close._

_"Oh," she muttered quietly, mesmerized by the huge ball of solar energy. "Thanks, Daddy."_

_"You're welcome, Lori," he said quietly as he hugged her tightly, a huge smile on his face._

* * *

The alarm went off again, and Rory heard it first. She reached over Jess' sleeping form to turn it off quickly, not wanting to wake him again. She smiled when his position didn't change. But, she had to get up: it was her graduation day. She slowly extricated herself from Jess' warm embrace, and he groaned, pulling her closer.

"Jess," she whispered. "Time to get up."

"Nuh uh," he moaned sleepily.

"Mmhmm," Rory answered as she tried to free herself again. Jess pulled her back again.

"No." Jess answered quickly, slowly starting to wake up. He nestled back into the crook of her neck, not wanting to leave the comfort of sleep and his dream. The dream about their daughter.

Rory laughed and leaned in to him, leaving a slow trail of kisses up to his ear before whispering, "If you get up, I'll make it worth your while..."

Jess' eyes snapped open and Rory laughed loudly at his sudden urgency.

"Ok, I'm awake now." Jess said. "How are you going to make this worth my while?"

"Ah, well, you see, I was thinking that maybe after I graduate today, you could take me out to dinner." Rory retorted as she stood up, stretching.

"How does me taking you out to dinner make up for you waking me up this early?" Jess asked, confused.

"Well, I didn't tell you what we were going to do _after_ dinner," Rory purred seductively as she walked toward the kitchen for a cup of coffee, running her fingers lightly along his bare shoulder as she passed.

Jess' mouth went dry as he watched her walk into the small adjoining room, her hips swaying ever so slightly. She had now gotten into the habit of wearing _his_ pajamas to bed. Not that he minded, of course; he loved the look of her in his clothes, it was a complete turn-on. Rory turned after pouring herself a cup of coffee and smiled at Jess suggestively. _"Oh, geez, I need some more cold water," _he thought to himself as she winked at him.

"So, do you accept my offer?" Rory asked as she sat down at the table, opening the newspaper.

"Um, yeah," Jess stammered, his voice cracking. Rory looked over her shoulder and saw Jess hide his face quickly. _"Did I really just make Jess Mariano blush?"_ she thought to herself confidently. She searched through the current events page, tossing the Sports and Weather sections across the table. Jess was finally able to stand, and he walked over to the waiting coffee pot, smirking as he saw Rory check out his bare chest. Since she had gotten into the habit of wearing his clothes, that meant that he didn't have any, so he had to sleep in his boxers. At least, that was Jess' argument. He sat down next to her and took a long sip, loving the feeling of warmth that spread throughout his body. He glanced at Rory: she was absorbed in whatever she was reading, not even noticing that he was there. Jess smiled and grabbed the Sports page. He wasn't really one to care about scores, but he needed something to do to keep him from staring. He reached over and put his hand on Rory's knee, and she gasped, not expecting the gesture. He started to rub small circles there, but kept reading. Rory sighed contentedly, now completely distracted from reading. When Jess didn't get the hint, she sighed again, more loudly this time.

He looked up, amused. "Yes?"

Rory looked at him, not saying a word.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he tried to keep from laughing. Rory was squirming, and he loved it. He kept rubbing circles, noticing the goosebumps forming on the skin of her forearms.

"Je-ess," Rory whined, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Hmm?" he asked as he looked back to the Sports section.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Reading." He answered shortly, knowing she hated it when he didn't use complete sentences.

"You _know _what I mean," Rory whined again.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jess teased, loving how riled up she was becoming.

"You know, with your hand, and my knee, and the rubbing..." Rory trailed off.

Jess looked at her blankly.

"Come _on_," Rory whined. She was getting really flustered now, and Jess loved it. He knew how she hated trying to explain awkward situations. She looked at his hand pointedly, making his gaze go there as well.

"Oh. How did that get there?" Jess questioned, removing his hand with a 'shocked' expression on his face.

Rory let out an agitated breath.

"Well, Rory, if you _must _know, I was just hoping that I would distract you. Did I succeed?" Jess queried, smirking. He leaned forward ever so slightly, his gaze going to her lips.

Rory was soon absorbed in Jess' scent. The smell of his after shave mixed with the minty coffee-like smell of his breath was making her head spin. She couldn't even begin to form a rational sentence. "Hmm?" she asked distractedly.

Jess' face was a mere half-centimeter from hers. "Ah, so I did achieve my overall purpose."

"Yeah," Rory breathed quietly. Jess took that as his signal, and leaned forward to kiss her lovingly and deeply. Rory sighed into the kiss, and Jess pulled his chair closer to hers, needing less of a distance to be between them. He finally pulled away after a minute or so, and opened his eyes to see Rory's eyes still closed, a dreamy look on her face.

"Hey, Ror?" Jess asked, bringing her out of the trance.

"What?" she asked, her eyes snapping open. _"Stupid Jess, making me all flustered. God, I love it when he does that," _Rory thought to herself.

"I think it's time for you to start getting ready." Jess said as he stood up and took his mug over to the sink, pouring out its remaining contents. Rory looked at him, shocked, and he just laughed under his breath before walking into the 'living room' to read.

"Oh," Rory said to the empty room. "Right." She walked up and put her mug in the sink as Jess had done, and then walked over to the bathroom, still a little dazed from his kisses. _"Here we go,"_ she thought as she turned on the water.

* * *

Jess put on his brown dress shirt, taking out the cream-colored tie that Lorelai had given him at dinner. "It's real Spanish silk!" Lorelai had said. When Jess had asked her if Spain even produced silk, she had changed the subject. He tied the thing quickly and looked over his outfit in the mirror.

"I look like a cup of coffee," he muttered to himself, not noticing Rory walk out of the bathroom.

"Good thing I love coffee," Rory said, as she finished putting in her earring. Jess turned quickly, his breath catching in his chest when he caught sight of her appearance, the same way it always did when he saw her. She looked beautiful, as always. She had on a cream-colored dress that an inch or two above her knees (_"Which, ironically, matches _my_ outfit," _Jess thought), and her hair was pulled into a side bun like it had been at the wedding, with curls framing her face. Everything she was wearing complimented the dress, as well as Jess' outfit: her make-up was applied in brownish hues, her shoes were a dark brown to match his shirt, and all of her accessories were made out of a dark-colored wood that almost matched the color of her hair. Jess smiled at her, finally.

Rory let out a nervous breath. "So, how do I look?"

"_Beautiful._" Jess said quietly as he walked toward her.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Jess answered as he came to her side. "What a shame that you have to put on a stupid robe over that. But, then again, it wouldn't really be fair to the other graduates if you looked like this in front of them, the guys would want you and the girls would want to hurt you."

Rory laughed, then blushed. She grabbed her robe and put it on carefully, not wanting to ruin any of the hard work that she had just done. After she zipped it up, she put on her cap and turned to face Jess, who had been watching her.

"Are you ready?" he asked her, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Yeah," she said more confidently than she felt. "Let's go."

Jess held out his hand to her, and she took it. They left the room quickly and walked to the area where Rory was about to graduate, the main courtyard of Yale. There were a few hundred people bustling about, mostly families of graduates. Rory looked around for Lorelai, finally spotting her and walking over quickly, dragging Jess behind her.

"Mom!"

"Hey, Ror! You look great," Lorelai gushed as she hugged her daughter.

"You should see what's under the dress," Jess muttered under his breath, thinking that only he could hear. Lorelai heard it, however, and smiled, arching an eyebrow at Jess.

"Dirty," she whispered to him. Jess looked at his shoes quickly, trying to hide the color in his cheeks. Luke walked up to the small group, bringing with him a very pregnant Lane.

"Lane!" Rory shouted loudly, hugging her friend awkwardly. She had never hugged a pregnant woman before. "You made it! I told you that you didn't have to come, you must be due in like--"

"A month." Lane finished as she pulled away, grinning.

"It's so good to see you," Rory stated. "How is Zach doing with all of this?"

"Oh, you know, he's dealing with all of the mood swings and food cravings pretty well, I guess. I don't think he knew that I would be making our unborn children listen to music like The Bangles, The B52s and Aerosmith, though," Lane answered, her smile growing.

"Really? Aerosmith?" Rory asked, stunned.

"Yeah, I've been getting into them a lot more recently," Lane said. Rory nodded, and Jess tried to follow the conversation. He was lost within a few minutes, however; they had gone on talking about 'woman stuff', and he really didn't feel like getting into all of that. He turned to talk to Luke, who had just whispered something to Lorelai, making her giggle and blush. _"Ok, ew,"_ Jess thought, not wanting to know the exchange of words that had just occurred between the married couple. He was just about to try and add something to Lane and Rory's conversation when an announcement came over the speakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now going to begin the cermeony," an old man standing at the podium announced. Jess glanced at him, thinking that he must be some professor or something. Rory smiled and left her small group of 'fans' and walked over to her chair. Jess followed Lorelai, helping Lane sit down when they reached the chairs. He made himself comfortable and looked near the front of the stage. _"We actually got pretty good seats."_ The ceremony began. Jess couldn't help but thinking as the ceremony commenced that his high school graduation would have been something like this. The long, drawn out speeches that no one really listened to, but pretended to understand; the endless fidgeting of the nervous students who were anxious to graduate; the dozing elderly men... He got lost in his thoughts for a while, finally coming to when he realized that names were being called. And then, Rory's row was standing, walking to the side of the stage. Somehow she had managed to end up sitting next to Paris, and Jess laughed, remembering the first time Rory had tried to explain Paris to him.

"Paris Gellar." The elderly man said clearly (Jess now realized that he was the Dean of Yale). Paris walked up the stairs onto the stage with assurance, taking her diploma and shaking the man's hand firmly.

"Rory Gilmore." Jess watched in awe as Rory walked up the stairs and onto the stage. He heard a muffled sniffle and looked over to see that Lane, Lorelai, Luke, Sookie, _and _Jackson were all crying. He smirked, but then realized that even his own eyes felt a little damp. He looked back up to see Rory grab her diploma with a smile and a firm handshake, then turn out to the audience and smile hugely at her family and friends. When her eyes locked with Jess', she winked. Jess smirked, watching her walk down the stairs.

The rest of the ceremony went quickly, and in no time the graduates were moving their tassels to the other side of their caps and throwing them in the air with a loud cheer. Then, madness. A hundred graduated seniors were bustling around, pushing their way through the crowd to find their families. Jess looked frantically through the gigantic mass of people for the one face that he recognized, but couldn't spot it. He pushed a few people out of the way gently, weaving through the crowd, but he couldn't find her. As he weaved past a particularly large middle-aged man, he finally saw Rory, who was looking about as frantically as Jess was. She saw him and smiled, and he began to walk over, only to be pushed out of the way by none other than Logan Huntzberger.

"Hey, Ace," Logan said. Jess couldn't help but notice the slight slur in his voice as he spoke.

Rory looked at him fearfully. She hadn't seen Logan since she had broken up with him for Jess. She tried to look around Logan, trying to lock eyes with Jess. Even from where he was standing, she could see the fire in his eyes. She gave him a look as if to say 'I can handle this' before turning back to the drunken blonde.

"Hello, Logan." Rory greeted coldly.

Logan staggered up to her. "Congratulations," he slurred again, his face starting to get a little too close.

Rory put a hand on his chest and pushed him back. "Are you drunk, Logan?"

"Am I what?"

"Drunk."

"Ha ha," Logan laughed, hiccuping. "I kinda am." He grinned stupidly, and Rory was disgusted. How could she have ever dated this repulsive man? Jess was closer now, still closing in on them. She would have to stall.

"Huh. Well, thank you for coming to my graduation, Logan." Rory knew that the best way to act around a drunken Logan was to treat him as if he were 5 years old.

"No problem," Logan answered as he leaned in and tried to kiss her. Rory pushed him away, and he tried again.

She pushed him away again. "Logan, get away from me. I don't want to see you right now, ok? We're done." Rory said, trying to make it sound nice.

Logan glared at her, pulling a flask from his jacket and taking a sip. He wiped his mouth and hiccuped. "Geez, Rory. You don't have to be such a _bitch." _As soon as Logan said this statement, Jess arrived at the scene and pushed Logan away from Rory.

"I think you'd better step back, Huntzberger," Jess growled as he stepped between Rory and her drunken ex-boyfriend.

Logan wheeled around to face Jess, pure fire in his eyes. "Oh, it's _you_. What the hell are _you_ doing here?" he spat.

"I was invited, actually. Why are _you_ here?" Jess asked, his voice beginning to rise.

"I'm here to win Rory back," Logan mumbled as he put his fists up in the air.

"Oh, really?" Jess yelled. Several people had formed a small circle around them, watching with obvious excitement. "That's funny, cause I thought she was with _me_ now."

"_What did you say?_" Logan threatened, the tone and volume of his voice matching Jess'.

"You heard me. I said she's with _me_ now, and there's nothing you can do about it." Jess spat at him, grinning evilly.

Logan looked at Rory. "You," he said as he stumbled towards her, pointing. Jess didn't know what Logan planned to do, but he wasn't going to wait and find out. He stepped between them. "Get outta my way," Logan grumbled.

"No."

Logan raised his arm and tried to push Jess out of the way, but he wouldn't budge. So, Logan did the next best thing he could think of to get someone to move: he punched Jess. Well, he tried to punch Jess. Because of his lack of vision and depth perception, he swung somewhere around two feet from Jess' head. But Jess got the hint and grabbed Logan's arm, putting him into a cop hold and taking him to the ground.

"Leave me and Rory alone." Jess growled quietly so that only Logan could hear. "_Forever._ If you don't, I will personally come and find you and beat the living shit out of you. Got that?" Jess asked icily, pulling Logan's arm higher.

Logan whimpered. "Yeah."

"Good," Jess said, letting go and pushing Logan away. He turned around to see an astonished Rory, not believing what she had just witnessed.

He grabbed her hand. "Come on, Ror, let's go." Rory didn't protest, she followed Jess quietly. It wasn't until they reached the car that Rory realized she was shaking. Jess closed her door quickly after helping her in, and then slammed his own door as he got in the car. He pulled out his cell phone and made a quick call to Luke, informing him that he would take Rory home and meet them at the diner. Rory just sat in her seat, trembling, watching Jess. When he hung up the phone, Jess put his head on the steering wheel, closed his eyes, and took a few deep breaths. Rory watched him silently, not knowing what to do. Jess opened his eyes a few seconds later, now calmer than he had been. He glanced at Rory, and noticed that her hands were shaking. He looked at her face, and she was pale.

"Oh, Ror, come here," Jess said quietly as he pulled Rory into his arms. She broke down, telling Jess how scared she had been, crying and shaking. They sat there for a couple minutes, and Jess didn't say anything: he just comforted her. When she finally calmed down, she didn't pull away from Jess. He took the hint and started the car, his arm still around her shoulders protectively.

"Jess?" she said weakly.

"Yeah?" he answered as they drove down the highway to Stars Hollow.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Jess asked as he looked down at her.

"For protecting me from Logan."

"Rory, I know how bad drunks can be, trust me. There was no way I was letting him get close to you." Jess muttered quietly.

Rory smiled softly and nestled back into Jess. She felt safe, there, in his arms.

Jess hugged her to himself more tightly as they drove in silence. After a little while, he turned on her CD, and she smiled, immediately brightening. She sang along and danced, and Jess just watched her, kissing the top of her head.

"Happy graduation, baby," he whispered quietly as he turned into Stars Hollow, toward Luke's.


	15. Chapter 15

Rory turned over in her bed again, trying to get comfortable. But she couldn't. She needed Jess. She had realized that she couldn't sleep without him there. But, after she graduated, Rory had had to move out of her dorm and back into 'The Crap Shack' with Lorelai. Which she didn't mind, she loved her mom. But, if she had to live with her mom, she had to live without Jess. He had moved back in to Luke's apartment. Nothing had been changed or moved since he last left; the only thing that was different was that Luke was now living with Lorelai. Rory and Jess saw each other pretty much every minute of the day: Rory would walk over to Luke's with Lorelai (Luke would wake up early to open) and eat breakfast while Jess waited on them; after Lorelai left, Rory would hang around the diner until Jess finished his shift; then they would walk around town, or go to the bridge, or watch movies. But nights were the hardest. She had had to go back to wearing her own pajamas, which now felt foreign to her after being used to the baggy sweats she usually wore. Rory let out an agitated sigh and turned over again: nothing. She opened her eyes and saw that it was one in the morning.

"God," Rory muttered as she grabbed her pillow and plopped it on her face, trying to force herself to fall asleep. It didn't work. She threw the pillow off the foot of the bed in agitation and turned on her bedside lamp. She looked over at the book on her nightstand: _Howl_. It was the copy that Jess had written in; her favorite book. Rory sighed and tried to read, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She groaned again, walked over to the closet, and grabbed a hoodie, zipping it up roughly. She grabbed her black Converses and tied them quickly, thinking of where she could go. She walked into the kitchen quietly, not wanting to disturb Lorelai and Luke. She decided she would need coffee, wherever she was going; she walked over to the pot and poured in a few tablespoons, pushed the On button, and then began to rummage around in the cabinets for a thermos. She grabbed one and set it down on the counter gently, walking back to her room. She grabbed _Howl, _walked over to the mirror, and let her hair down, brushing it quickly. She could smell the coffee. Rory rushed into the kitchen, poured every last bit of it into the thermos, stuffed her book in her back pocket, and was out the door. She still hadn't decided where to go, and then the thought dawned on her: _the bridge._ Rory smiled and turned to walk in that direction, sipping her coffee as she went.

* * *

Jess turned over in his bed again, trying to get comfortable. But he couldn't. He needed Rory. He had realized that he couldn't sleep without her there. He had become really depressed when he realized that after Rory graduated, she would have to move out of her dorm room and back into 'The Crap Shack' with Lorelai. He could say that he didn't mind, but Rory living with Lorelai meant that Jess had to live without Rory. Luke had told Jess that he could move back into the apartment above the diner, and Jess accepted his uncle's offer quickly. The apartment felt like home to him: he hadn't known much else as he grew up through his angsty teenage years. It wasn't like they didn't see each other everyday: Rory would come in with Lorelai for breakfast and he would wait on them; Rory would hang out until his shift ended; they would hang out after that. But he couldn't take the nights. He missed Rory wearing his sweat pants, her tiny form snuggling into him for warmth. He missed having her to hold at night. Jess let out an angry grumble and turned over again: nothing. He opened his eyes and looked at the clock: 1:20.

"God," he growled. There was no use trying to fall asleep, he couldn't do it. He turned on his lamp and looked over at the book on his nightstand: _Howl_. It reminded him of the first night he had met Rory, when he had swiped her copy and written a few notes for her in the margins. He tried to get lost in the words, but he couldn't; his thoughts were elsewhere. He walked to the 'kitchen' of the apartment, glad for once that he was living on his own. He made some coffee, grateful for the warmth. He walked over to the closet and grabbed a pair of Converses and his leather jacket. He needed to go on a walk and clear his head; maybe that would make him tired enough to fall asleep. He grabbed _Howl_, fixed his hair a little in the mirror, and brushed his teeth quickly. He poured his remaining coffee into a thermos and stuffed _Howl _into his back pocket as he rushed out the door quickly. He grabbed his keys off the shelf in the diner and began to walk over to the bridge, his sanctuary. He sipped coffee in silence, then stopped as he reached the bridge. He grinned. He hadn't been expecting her to be there. He watched her as she sat, a pile of rocks next to her; she was trying to skip them across the water, but not having much success. He laughed quietly, so that he wouldn't scare her. She looked so peaceful, but tired: just like him. He slowly walked up to her, knowing that this was exactly what he needed. _"God, this bridge is where all of my favorite moments happen," _he thought to himself.

* * *

"Hey," Jess said quietly.

Rory jumped at the sound of his voice, she hadn't been expecting him. She had hoped he might come, might have the same thought as her. _"Thank you karma,"_ she thought. She looked up at him, and he smiled her favorite one-sided grin, kinking an eyebrow in the process. "Hey," she greeted quietly.

"Why are you up?" Jess asked, looking down at the dark water.

"Couldn't sleep." Rory followed his gaze, watching the last ripples of the last rock she had thrown slowly disappear.

"Me neither," Jess said.

"Yeah?" Rory asked.

"Yeah."

"Why not?" Rory quietly, secretly, hoped that his answer would be the one that she was hoping for.

"I need you." Jess stated simply, looking down at her again.

Rory smiled, then looked up at him. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. Why couldn't you sleep?" Jess asked, his eyebrow still kinked.

"I need you." Rory returned his blunt answer, gazing into his eyes.

Jess' smile widened. "Is that so?"

"Yes, that is so," Rory retorted quickly.

Jess walked closer to her, and Rory watched him in the reflection of the water. He sat down behind her, crossing his legs like a kindergartner. Rory turned her head slightly to face him, and was immediately met with his lips on hers. He moved slowly, carefully, as if wanting to make it last. Rory kissed him back: she had missed this, missed being with him. Jess brought his hand up to cup her face, and Rory slightly turned her body so that she could be more comfortable. Jess kissed her once more tenderly, softly, on the lips, and Rory sighed, leaning back. He put his legs on either side of her body, and she snuggled back into his chest, resting her head on his shoulder.

"God, I missed you," Jess whispered quietly into her ear.

"Mmm," Rory hummed quietly. She closed her eyes. She was breathing in the scent of him, letting it overtake her senses. "I missed you, too."

Jess kissed her lightly on the temple as he brought his arms around her, pulling her close. Rory shivered, but it wasn't from the night air.

"Cold?" Jess asked.

"Yeah," Rory answered quickly. Jess unzipped his jacket and put it on her shoulders. Rory quickly wrapped it around herself, putting her arms in the sleeves and inhaling deeply.

"You know," Jess said quietly, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were just using me for my leather jacket."

Rory grinned up at him. "You know me too well."

Jess laughed softly and picked up a rock, skipping it smoothly over the water. It skipped eight times, and then disappeared into the surrounding darkness.

"No fair," Rory pouted. "How did you do that?"

"Skip the rock? It's easy, really," Jess answered. "Would you like me to show you?"

"Yes," Rory pleaded, reaching over to pick up a rock but not moving from the comfortable warmth of his arms.

Jess picked up another rock. "Ok, first, you have to pick a pretty flat rock."

"Ok," Rory muttered, searching through her pile for a flat one.

"Here, take mine," Jess said, handing the small stone to her.

"Thanks. Continue."

"Second, it's all in the wrist. You take the rock and put it between your first finger, second finger, and thumb. Then you snap your wrist forward and release."

"You make it sound so easy," Rory said, still pouting.

"Just try it," Jess urged.

"Ok." Rory followed the steps, snapping her wrist forward. As she did so, the rock skipped perfectly across the water, and she squealed with delight, clapping her hands.

Jess laughed. "See, I told you that you could do it!"

"Thanks, babe!" Rory sung, kissing him quickly on the lips.

Jess reached over for his thermos, and chuckled when he saw Rory do the same.

"Coffee?" he asked.

"Of course," she answered, taking a long sip. She picked up the novel sitting next to her on the bridge, and Jess smiled as the moonlight reflected off of the cover.

"Great minds think alike," he murmured as he brought the exact same book out of his back pocket. Rory didn't say anything, just nestled back into his chest. They read in silence for some time, until Jess started to notice Rory's eyelids drooping.

"Sleepy?" He breathed quietly into her ear.

"Mmm..." Rory moaned. "Don't talk, I'm getting to sleep for the first night in a week."

"Come home with me." Jess said softly.

"Home?"

"To the apartment."

"But, my Mom will be worried..." Rory stammered sleepily.

"It's ok, I'll explain it to her in the morning," Jess replied.

"Ok."

"Ok." Jess said. Rory tried to sit up, but immediately fell back into Jess. He sighed and scooped her up into his arms, marveling at how light she still was. Rory wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled into his chest, her breathing starting to slow. Jess carried her back to the diner, opening the door with one hand and locking it. He brought her up the stairs as quietly as he could; some of them creaked. Jess finally managed to get the door open (it was really hard to unlock the thing one-handed and not wake Rory), and closed it with a quiet click. He brought Rory over to the bed and laid her down softly, carefully removing her shoes and his jacket. She mumbled something incoherently, and then was out like a light. Jess smiled as he heard her even breathing; when he had carried her through the door, his mind had had a sudden flash-forward to a time when he hoped to be doing that in the future. The _near _future, he realized. He pulled off his shirt and put the covers over Rory, then lied down behind her. He was happy with her there, he could finally manage to get some sleep. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and felt an instant calm wash over him. He sighed happily and kissed her on the top of the head before closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Jess!" Jess faintly heard his name being called through the veil of sleep. He shrugged it off, trying to go back to the dream he was just having.

"Jess!" The angry voice shouted again. It was clearer this time. Jess groaned and stuck his head back under the pillow, his arm still wrapped around Rory.

"JESS!" The voice pierced through his solitude, waking him suddenly. Jess opened his eyes and made out the blurry form of Luke. _"Oh, crap, I'm in trouble."_

"Luke? What the hell? I was sleeping!" Jess quietly yelled. He didn't want to wake Rory up, she was sleeping peacefully.

"Well, I'm sorry to interrupt your little slumber party, but you actually have a job to do, remember?" Luke growled angrily.

"Ugh, can't I just have the day off today? _Please?_" Jess begged. He was unsuccessful.

"No." Luke said firmly. "Up. Now."

Jess groaned, and then slowly brought his legs out from under the warmth of the sheets. "There, are you happy now? I'm up." Jess mumbled.

Luke's mouth formed a tight line, and the corners raised a little. His version of a smile. "Ten minutes," he said simply before opening the door and heading back downstairs to the diner's breakfast rush.

Jess rubbed his eyes tiredly and sat back down on the edge of the bed. He turned over and looked at Rory, who was still sleeping soundly. "You're lucky," Jess muttered quietly before bringing her hair out of her face and smoothing it, kissing her on the forehead. He grabbed one of his nearby notebooks and wrote her a quick note, not wanting her to be worried when she woke up and he wasn't there. He taped it to the headboard on his side and then gave her one more quick kiss before slipping some clothes on and making his hair look semi-presentable. He could get ready later. He walked down the stairs slowly, wincing as he pulled away the curtain and the sun shined brightly into his eyes.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Luke said as he poured a customer more coffee. "Nice of you to join us."

"Oh, it was my pleasure, Luke," Jess retorted sarcastically, grabbing his order pad. He walked around and took the orders of the five customers remaining in the diner, then handed them to Ceaser and poured himself a cup of coffee. He gulped it down quickly and poured himself another.

"Take it easy, will ya?" Luke said as he walked by with a few plates. "It's for the customers, and I don't want you to be bouncing off the walls."

"Yes _Uncle _Luke," Jess replied, putting an extra stress on the word 'uncle'. He knew Luke hated it when he called him that. After everyone had left the diner, Luke wiped off the counter before the 'brunch rush' came in.

"So, what was Rory doing sleeping in my bed last night?" Luke asked as Jess refilled salt shakers.

"Um, it's actually _my _bed, and I don't really see how that's any of your business," Jess said, not bringing his eyes away from his job.

"Well, it's my business because it's _my _apartment," Luke answered. "Why was she sleeping in the bed?"

"Because we met at the bridge last night, and neither of us could sleep, so we both ended up there. We read and skipped rocks for a while, and then she started to get sleepy, and I didn't want to make her walk home, so I told her to come home with me." Jess rushed out, finally bringing his gaze to meet Luke's.

"Huh." Luke said before moving to some tables to collect the plates. "That's all that happened?"

"Yes, Luke, that's all that happened," Jess answered, screwing the last lid on tightly.

"Ok then." Luke said, nodding. "So... are you guys like, a 'serious couple' now?"

Jess looked at him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, she's sleeping in your bed, you spend all of your time with her... You must really love her." Luke said as he moved to put more coffee beans into the coffee machine. He punched the button in before turning to Jess.

"I don't just love her, I'm _in _love with her," Jess answered. "Get your facts straight."

"So... are you a serious couple now?" Luke asked expectantly.

"Yeah, I guess we are," Jess replied quietly, smiling as he wiped out coffee mugs.

Luke grinned. "Good. I think that's good, you two, you and Rory, Rory and you. It just seems... _right_ to me."

"Luke, you're rambling." Jess stated as he turned to count the money in the register.

"Oh. Sorry." Luke said, embarrassed.

Jess just smiled and continued to count. _"30, 35, 40..."_

* * *

Rory awoke to the feeling that something wasn't right, and her feeling was reassured when she looked over to see that Jess wasn't lying next to her. She rubbed her eyes and stretched, glancing over at the window. That's when she saw the note:

_Hey Ror,_

_Sorry that I wasn't there to wake up next to you, I know you hate it when I do that. The real world was calling. Anyway, don't worry about Lorelai freaking out when she finds out you spent the night with me: I already called her to explain. _Rory smiled and continued to read. _You owe me; I had a lot of explaining to do. Come downstairs after you read this and get ready, and I'll make you breakfast, whatever you desire. Hurry up, though, because I miss you already!_

_I love you,_

_Jess_

Rory sighed happily as she set the note down on the nightstand. She got up quickly and showered, amazing herself at how fast she got ready. After she got out, Rory realized that she had no other clothes to wear besides the pajamas she was wearing last night. And she knew that _that _would certainly cause a lot of gossip around town. A thought dawned on her, and she went over to Jess' dresser, took out a pair of his jeans and a black tank top, and put them on. She had to wear a belt to keep up the jeans: her waist was much skinnier than Jess'. She brushed her hair and searched the medicine cabinet, smiling when she found her mother's make-up stash. She brushed her teeth and took in her appearance; pleased, she took Jess' note and folded it up, putting it in the pocket of his jeans. She grabbed her hoodie last, zipping it up halfway over the tank top, and walked happily down the stairs. Ignoring the looks she got from Miss Patty and Babette as she came out from behind the curtain, Rory sat down at the counter with a huge smile on her face. Jess hadn't seen her yet, he was grabbing some more eggs for Ceaser out of the back fridge. She glanced around the diner, noticing that Babette was looking at her and whispering to Miss Patty. She noticed Kirk sitting at a table by the window, reading a random magazine about car repairs. He didn't even know how to repair a car. Rory spotted Lorelai, and then realized why she hadn't been noticed yet: her mother and Luke were busy flirting happily in their little corner, oblivious to the world around them. Rory smiled and turned back to face the counter just as Jess came out from the back room. He jumped slightly when he saw her, then smiled when he took in her appearance. She was wearing one of his tank tops underneath her hoodie. She smiled at him and he raised an eyebrow at her, grabbing the coffee pot before coming over.

"Back to wearing my clothes again, Gilmore?" he asked as he filled up a cup for her.

"Yup." Rory answered as she continued to smile at him.

"Huh." Jess said.

"What're you going to do about it?" she challenged.

"Well..." Jess said, coming out from behind the counter.

Rory turned to face him, giggling as he lifted her out of her seat and placed her lightly on the floor.

Jess looked down, and his grin widened. Rory was wearing a pair of his jeans. _His _jeans. He met her gaze with a kinked eyebrow and a smirk. "Just couldn't wait to get into my pants, huh, Gilmore?"

"Jess!" Rory whispered, shocked that he would say such a thing so loudly. She giggled flirtatiously, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"What?" he asked innocently, bringing his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. He kissed her slowly, at first, but then things slowly started to become more heated. It was Rory who remembered that they had an audience.

She pulled away slowly, giving him one last peck. "Mwah. There, now get back to work."

Jess groaned loudly, frowning. "That's not fair."

"Aw, come on, you're almost done anyway," Rory said. They were still entangled in each other. "I can wait."

"Fine," Jess whined, kissing her lightly before reluctantly going back to work. Rory sat down at the counter and smiled, watching him lovingly as he picked things up quickly.

* * *

"So, what are we going to do today?" Rory asked as she and Jess walked through the square. His arm was around her shoulders, hers was around his waist.

"Well, I actually have something I have to do, so I was wondering if you wouldn't mind hanging out with Lane today," Jess rushed out, stopping them before they walked right in front of a car.

Rory looked up at him with a shocked and hurt expression. "You don't want to hang out with me?" The Gilmore Puppy Dog Eyes were on full blast.

Jess smiled and looked down at her. "Of course I do," he said as he kissed her on the nose. "I just have to do this one thing, and then I'll come by and get you, ok?"

"Ok," Rory said dejectedly, looking down at the ground.

Jess put a finger under her chin and lifted her gaze to his. He kissed her deeply, and smiled when she slumped in to him. He pulled away, and Rory left her eyes closed.

"Come on, let's go," Jess said as they walked down the street to Lane and Zach's house. "You're late."

Rory hugged him tightly as they walked, not wanting to let go when they finally arrived.

She looked up at the door sadly, then returned her gaze to Jess. His heart melted at her gaze, and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her senseless right there in front of the whole town.

"Be back soon, ok?" Rory whispered as she leaned in toward him.

"I will." Jess answered, kissing her softly. Rory turned and walked up to the door, brightening when Lane answered.

"Rory!" Jess heard Lane shout.

"Lane!" Rory shouted back. "You're still pregnant!"

"Yeah, tell me about it. I want this stupid thing out of here already," Lane mumbled as she rubbed her stomach.

Jess smiled. Rory turned to him.

"Are you going to be ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Rory answered. "See you soon!" she managed to get out before being pulled in the front door by Lane.

He laughed and walked quickly to his car, getting in and driving off quickly.

* * *

Jess left the jewelry store with a smile on his face, holding the blue velvet box tightly in his hand. He opened it once more and looked inside.

"Perfect," he said to himself before snapping it closed and putting it in his pocket.

He got in the car, turned on the ignition, and started the drive back to Stars Hollow, beaming the whole way there.


	16. Chapter 16

**3 hours earlier**

Rory tried to get one last glimpse of Jess before Lane pulled her inside. No such luck. Lane yanked her in and shut the door quickly behind her.

"So," Lane started to say before she was interrupted by the sound of her twin three-year-olds, Kwan and Kaia.

"Mommy!" Kaia shouted as she ran up to Lane and tugged on her shirt. "Kwan took my Bawbie." Rory glanced down at the youngling, surprised at how much she looked like Lane. She smiled when Lane let out a frustrated sigh and scooped the young girl up into her arms, causing Kaia to squeal with delight.

Lane plopped Kaia down on the couch, went over to the DVD player, and put in a disc. Rory hung up her jacket on the coat rack and looked around, surprised at how much the house had changed since she had last seen it. Rory smiled when she heard the first chords of 'Beauty and the Beast' blast throughout the room, and began to look around for Kwan. She spotted him sitting in the corner, a Transformer in one hand and a Barbie in the other. She walked over to him and sat down beside him.

He glanced up at her and his eyes widened. "Rory! You're here!" Kwan shouted before turning around and jumping on Rory, almost knocking her over. Rory laughed and picked him up, hugging him tightly to her chest.

"Hey, Kwan! Did you miss me?"

"Yeah..." Kwan muttered shyly before turning his head away. Then his previous thought returned to him. "I'm so excited you're here! Mommy told me you were coming this morning when I woke up!" Kwan had actually begun to speak rather clearly, considering his age, and Rory almost completely understood him. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek before placing him carefully back on the floor. He returned to playing with his action figure, and Rory turned around to see an entranced Kaia staring at the TV screen. Lane waddled over to Rory and smiled down at Kwan.

"So, are you ready to hang out!" Lane whisper-yelled excitedly.

"Don't you have to watch them?" Rory asked worriedly.

"Nope. Zach's in the kitchen, Kaia's watching a movie, and Kwan is playing with action figures. They should be entertained for at least an hour and a half," Lane whispered again, grinning from ear to ear.

Rory smiled back. "Sure, let's go!"

Lane led the way to her 'studio', a room that housed over 1,000 CDs and Lane's drum set. Rory was still shocked every time she entered the room; it was like a music heaven. Not wanting to make Lane do unnecessary work, Rory grabbed two beanbags from the corner of the room and plopped them down right next to the stereo. She fell back into her beanbag gracefully, and then extended a hand to help Lane down. After a few minutes, both of the young women were comfortably situated, and Lane let out a quick breath before reaching over to her CD collection. She put the CD in and waited until the first song came on. Both Lane and Rory smiled when the first chords of the song began to play.

"Really, Lane? Aerosmith?" Rory teased.

"Hey, the baby likes it, alright? Apparently the sound of Steven Tyler's voice makes it stop kicking." Lane answered with regret. "Personally, I would have preferred if the baby liked someone hardcore, like Foo Fighters or Metallica. But, I guess I'll have to settle for this."

Rory laughed softly, still taking in the splendor of the room. "It's changed since I was here last."

"What's changed?"

"The house. Your life. Everything." Rory said as she ran her fingers along the shelves. "Kaia and Kwan are so big now, they can almost speak in full sentences. The house is more... comfy than the last time I was here, too."

"What do you mean, comfy?" Lane asked.

"I don't know. I mean, the last time I was here, it didn't really look lived in, because the twins were still babies. But now there's toys everywhere, and decorations, and it looks... It looks like a family lives here." Rory stated, finally looking at Lane with a smile.

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" Lane answered as she looked around the room, pleased with herself. Rory nodded. "Ok, so now it's my turn to question you."

"About what?" Rory questioned nervously.

"Um, _everything_." Lane said as she leaned forward.

"What do you want to know?"

"Hmmm..." Lane tapped her finger on her chin, thinking. "Ok, first of all, how have you been these past couple of months?"

Rory smiled. She had forgotten how long it had been since she and Lane had had a genuine 'girl talk'. Months. "I have been great. I'm happy to be done with school and to be starting my own life, it's so refreshing," Rory gushed, leaning forward and crossing her legs.

"Good, good," Lane murmured. "So, I take it you broke up with Logan?"

Rory nodded. She didn't really feel like talking about that whole situation.

"Do you mind if I ask what happened?"

"He asked me to go to London with him, and I said no. Then he freaked out on me, so I broke it off. End of story," Rory rushed out quickly.

"Huh. Ok then," Lane said, knowing that her best friend wanted a subject change. "New question. You and Jess: what's the deal?"

Rory sighed happily, going into 'dream mode', the same way she always was when she talked about Jess.

"Start from the beginning, please, and don't leave anything out," Lane stated firmly, her attention fully focused on Rory.

"Ok, well, the night I broke up with Logan, I called Jess. I don't really know why, it was a really impulsive thing to do. Anyway, we talked for about two seconds before I chickened out and hung up. Then, that same night, he came to see me. At Yale. And he kissed me. We decided to be friends at first, so we lived together for a few weeks, and things were going good."

"Wait, you _lived _together?" Lane asked, shocked. "Woah, big step."

"Yeah. So, after about three weeks, my Mom and Luke's wedding was coming up. Mom asked me to be her maid of honor, and Luke asked Jess to be his best man. Apparently we both had the same phone conversation with them, because we both talked to them about taking our relationship to the 'next level'. Then, Jess took me out to breakfast and asked me to be his date for the wedding. I accepted, and things became a lot less awkward. Well, we got to the rehearsal dinner and we both said our speeches. His was amazing, it made me cry. We didn't really get a chance to talk during the dinner, because everyone was asking me about Yale and asking Jess about his new life. After the dinner, my Mom and Luke went on a walk, and so Jess and I decided to go on one."

Lane's mouth dropped open at the mention of physical activity. "You?"

"I know, I went on a walk. _Voluntarily." _Rory added. "I was shocked myself. So, he took me to this little clearing in the trees behind the Inn, near where we had our first kiss. He flipped a switch and there were suddenly lanterns glowing, and then he laid some blankets and pillows down on the ground and we watched the stars. It was nice, calm. Then he asked me what we were. We got in a kind of argument, because I didn't exactly know what he was asking me. Then he told me that he loved me."

Lane gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

"I know, right?" Rory said, a smile starting to form on her face. "Well, I told him that I loved him back, and then we just spent the night under the stars in each others' arms."

"That's so adorable," Lane said quietly, her eyes misted over and slightly tearing up.

"But that's not all. The next day was the wedding, and so we had our first real slow dance at the reception. It was perfect, to say the least. Then my Mom and Luke left on their honeymoon for two weeks, so Jess and I pretty much entered the 'honeymoon stage' of our relationship. Nothing serious, just a lot of making out."

Lane grinned and laughed heartily.

"So, when Luke and my Mom got back, Jess asked her if he and I could officially re-date again, and my Mom said yes! So, we were then officially a couple. Then you saw us at graduation, I'm presuming, with the whole 'Logan thing'." Rory shuddered at the memory, thinking how quickly things could have gotten out of hand.

"Ugh, yeah. Logan is such a jerk," Lane muttered bitterly. "Go on."

"Well, after I graduated, I had to move back in with my Mom, and Jess moved back into the apartment above the diner by himself. So, last night, I couldn't sleep, and apparently neither could he. We had gotten into the habit of sleeping with one another."

Lane kinked an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"No, not in _that_ way," Rory said quickly, blushing. "_Just _sleeping. So, we both went to the bridge, and he showed me how to skip rocks. And then I started to fall asleep, so he took me back to the apartment and I fell asleep with his arm wrapped around me. And then I started a whole new round of gossip this morning when I walked downstairs wearing Jess' pants." Rory finished, motioning to her outfit. "And then he dropped me off here, and now I'm with you!"

"Huh," was all that Lane could say. She repeated it a few times before finally forming a coherent sentence. "So, you finally managed to make Jess Mariano fall in love with you, huh?"

Rory beamed. "Yeah, I guess I did."

"It's about damn time," Lane muttered before beginning to search through her CD collection again. Rory looked at her with a shocked expression.

"Huh?" Rory asked, confused. "What do you mean, it's about damn time?"

She picked out an old Foo Fighters album and shoved it into the CD player, relaxing when she heard the electric guitar. "Well, it took you two long enough to finally admit it." Lane grinned as she said the words. "So, how are things with that whole... thing?"

"_Fantastic_." Rory sighed, leaning back into the beanbag. "Things are perfect. But, I think he might be planing something. Do you know why he wanted me to hang out with you today?"

Lane shrugged. "Nope. Maybe he just realized that you miss one of your best friends, and that she's pregnant and grumpy, and you could probably control her mood swings."

Rory laughed as Lane started to stand.

"What's wrong?" Rory questioned, worried.

"Pregnant." Lane said simply as she walked in the direction of the bathroom, which conveniently had a side door leading into the 'studio'. "Gotta pee."

Rory chuckled and turned away, flipping through Lane's collection.

Then she heard Lane gasp.

"Uh, Rory?" Lane said quickly, her voice in a higher pitch than usual.

"Yeah?" Rory responded, scared.

"My water just broke." Lane stated, opening the door.

* * *

"Oh my God." Rory said as she stood up quickly and walked over to Lane, looking at her stomach. "Oh my God."

"Yeah," Lane said, smiling.

"Oh my God." Rory couldn't think of anything else to say. "Oh my God."

"Ok, Rory, just breathe," Lane coached, squeezing her eyes shut as the first wave of contractions began to start. "Just... _please_ go get the twins in their car-seats. I'll go get my bag of clothes, ok?"

"Right." Rory nodded and then rushed into the living room. She scooped Kwan off the floor and then ran over to the couch and did the same to Kaia.

"Where are we going, Rory?" Kwan asked as Kaia looked up at her expectantly.

"We're going on a drive, ok?" Rory said quietly. She ran outside to the car and put them in their car-seats quickly before bolting back inside. She went to the kitchen and noticed Zach reading a science fiction novel at the dining room table.

He glanced up at her. "Oh, hey Rory," he greeted happily. Then, noticing the nervousness in her face, he added, "What's wrong?"

"Um... Lane's water broke. The baby is coming." Rory said quickly. Her hands had started to shake.

"Oh." Zach said quietly before dog-earing his page and standing up. "Ok then. Lane!" he shouted into the house.

"Yeah?" Lane answered as she walked into the kitchen holding her suitcase of clothes for the hospital.

Zach looked at her and she looked back at him.

"It's time." Lane stated. Zach nodded and walked over to his wife, taking her suitcase and his keys. They walked to the car quickly, and Rory helped Lane into the passenger side as quickly as she could. Rory shut the door quickly and then hopped in the back seat with the twins, who were giggling happily and clapping their hands. Zach looked over at Lane and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently.

"I'll get there as soon as I can, ok, babe?" he whispered quietly. Lane smiled tightly at him and continued her deep breathing.

"Ok, just hurry, please," she managed to say in between contractions.

"You got it." Zach revved the engine of the car, and they were at the hospital in 10 minutes. Lane's contractions were becoming stronger and closer together as they walked into the Emergency room. Rory was holding Kaia and Kwan. Zach rushed to the front desk.

"Hello, may I help you?" the receptionist greeted pleasantly.

"Uh, yeah, my wife is having a baby, like, _now_." Zach said quickly, drumming his hands on the counter nervously. "So, could you please get us to a room as soon as possible?"

"Yes sir," the receptionist responded. She made a quick call on her office phone, and two minutes later Lane was being helped into a wheelchair and escorted to a room. Rory took Kwan and Kaia into the waiting area and took a pack of playing cards out of her purse. Kaia reached for them, and Rory had an idea to keep the toddlers busy.

"Hey guys," she said excitedly. "Do you wanna play Go Fish?"

"Ok!" Kaia and Kwan agreed in unison. They sat down on the floor and Rory sat down with them, opening the deck and shuffling it. She dealt the cards to each of them, and then vaguely explained the rules. The youngsters nodded and tried to play the game, finally understanding after a few games. Rory looked around and noticed that Zach had already gone into the delivery room, so things would surely be over soon. She turned her attention back to the game, glad she had thought of a way to keep the limited attention spans of the children at rest for the time being.

"Hey Wowry?" Kaia said. Rory smiled at the way she spoke; she had talked that way as a child too.

"Yeah, sweetie?" Rory replied, looking at Kaia.

"Where's mama?" Kaia asked sweetly, gazing up at Rory intently.

"Well, um... Your mommy's having her baby right now," Rory answered.

Kaia's eyes widened. "Oh."

Just then, Zach walked out of the delivery room, a smile plastered across his face. Rory looked up and noticed the small bundle in his arms. She stood up, took the hands of Kaia and Kwan, and walked over to Zach.

"It's a girl," Zach said quietly. The baby was sleeping.

Rory smiled at him, at how happy he looked. Suddenly, Rory's mind flashed forward to a dream she had had recently. It was of Jess standing right where Zach was standing, saying those exact same words to Lorelai. She snapped out of her trance quickly and returned her gaze to the newborn. She had Lane's eyes, but hair like Zach's.

"I have another little girl," Zach said happily. He crouched down to show his two other children, and they looked at the baby with totally different expressions on their faces.

Kaia squealed. "Ooh, she's so cute! I'm a big sistuh now!" She waved at the baby. "Hi baby, I'm Kaia. Nice to meet you.

The expression on Kwan's face was the polar opposite of his sister's. He wrinkled his nose at the tiny girl. "I don't like it. Put it back," he said.

Zach laughed. "I can't put it back, Kwan. This is your new sister, Grace. Can you say hi?"

Kwan shrugged. "Hi," he muttered before stepping away slightly. Zach smiled and stood up again, returning the conversation to Rory.

"Well, I'd better go back in there," he said, the smile on his face still huge.

"Congratulations, Zach, she's beautiful," Rory murmured quietly, stroking the baby's hair.

"See you in a few?" Zach asked.

"Yeah," Rory breathed. Zach turned and walked quickly back to the emergency room, back to Lane. Rory sighed and picked up the fidgeting toddlers at her feet. A few minutes later, she was informed by a nurse that they could go see Lane. Rory took the twins into Lane's room, her eyes watering at the sight of Lane holding her new baby. Lane glanced toward the door and smiled.

"Hey guys!" She said softly.

"Hi, momma," they greeted in quiet unison. Rory walked over to Lane's bedside, feeling stupid for crying. Lane glanced up at her, and Rory could see that she was crying too.

"Congratulations, Lane," Rory said. "She's perfect."

Lane beamed. "Thanks, Ror. Thanks for everything."

"Anytime," Rory murmured. She took a step back and admired the family in front of her, hoping that someday she would be just as happy as they were in that moment. And then she remembered. "Oh my God, I should probably call Jess," Rory said quickly.

Lane nodded at her. "Ok, no problem."

Rory left the room and dialed Jess' number quickly. He answered after one ring.

_"Hey, babe, I was just thinking about you,"_ he said smoothly on the other line.

"Hey. I just wanted to tell you that I'm at the hospital."

_"What?"_ Jess asked worriedly. _"Are you ok? What's wrong?"_

"No, no, I'm fine. Lane just had her baby!" Rory squealed.

_"Oh, ok. Geez, don't scare me like that, Gilmore."_ Jess growled semi-angrily. It reminded Rory of Luke, and she smiled. _"Tell her I say congratulations. Boy or girl?"_

"A girl," Rory responded. "Her name is Grace."

_"That's a pretty name,"_ Jess said quietly.

"Yeah, it is," Rory agreed.

At the moment, both she and Jess were unknowingly having the same thought. Both of their minds had just thought ahead to the future, about babies and baby names, about an unknown life. They both realized that they wanted to spend it together, a thought that snapped them both back to reality.

_"So, I'm almost back to town," _Jess said quickly, hoping Rory hadn't noticed the silence that had just come over them. _"Do you think that you could maybe meet me at say, 9?" _Jess asked nervously.

"Sure, but it's just now three o'clock. What's going to take you six hours?" Rory asked him curiously.

_"Oh, nothing,"_ Jess dodged her question. _"I just have a surprise for you."_

"Yay!" Rory squeaked. "I love surprises!"

_"I know."_ Jess said. She could hear the smile in his voice. _"So, see you at nine?"_

"See you at nine," Rory answered. "I love you."

_"I love you, too," _Jess said before hanging up the phone.

Rory closed her phone and sighed happily, letting her mind wander back to the future that she had been visualizing just moments ago. She smiled and let out a sigh, sitting down on a chair in the waiting area with a dreamy look on her face. She was lost in her thoughts for a few minutes until Zach came out and tapped her on the shoulder softly.

"Hey, Rory?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

"Just so you know, Lane says that you can go if you want. We don't want to keep you here if you have other plans," Zach added, smiling.

"Ok. Would you mind if I just stayed for a few more minutes?" Rory asked. "I just want to see Grace one more time, and then I'll go get something to eat."

"Sure," Zach said proudly. "Follow me."

As Rory followed Zach to the room, she finally thought back to the conversation with Jess that she had just had. What did he mean a surprise? _"Well, I guess I'll find out at nine..."_ Rory thought to herself as she gazed at baby Grace once more.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey everyone. So, like I always start, thanks so much for the reviews! You guys are awesome!! I might not post a chapter immediately after this one like I have been, because I'm starting a new story. For those of you Quogan (Quinn and Logan) fans, read it!! Anyway, here is the chapter that you have all been waiting for from the very beginning. Hope you like it!! Oh, just so you all know, this first part goes back to the phone call that Jess had with Rory when she was in the hospital. Just to clear up any confusion. **

**-soonerchick7**

* * *

As Jess drove down the highway, it felt like the small blue velvet box was burning a hole in his pocket. He quickly reached into his pocket and grabbed the box, taking it out to look at it for the hundredth time in the past minute. He flipped it open, then closed it quickly. He repeated this ritual several times before shoving the box back into his pocket and letting out a breath. _"I can't believe I'm doing this tonight," _Jess thought to himself. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard his phone ring. He took it out of his pocket and looked at the screen, smiling instantly. _Rory._

He flipped open his phone casually. "Hey, babe, I was just thinking about you," he said smoothly.

_"Hey. I just wanted to tell you that I'm at the hospital."_

Jess' blood froze in his veins at Rory's words. He began to panic very quickly. "What? Are you ok? What's wrong?"

_"No, no, I'm fine. Lane just had her baby!"_ Rory squealed into the other line.

Jess let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Oh, ok. Geez, don't scare me like that, Gilmore." Jess realized that he had kind of growled the last part. He softened his voice before adding "Tell her I say congratulations. Boy or girl?"

_"A girl," _Rory answered. _"Her name is Grace."_

"That's a pretty name," Jess said quietly into his phone.

_"Yeah, it is," _he heard her say quietly. He wasn't really paying attention to the conversation he was having right now, however. Jess' thoughts had zoomed to the dream he had had a few days before. The one where he was sitting with his daughter, watching the sun rise. It had seemed so real. Jess then thought ahead to the future, realizing that if everything went smoothly tonight, that dream would come true in only a matter of time. It was then that he remembered that he was on the phone with the woman he had just been thinking about. He realized that neither of them had said anything for a few minutes.

"So, I'm almost back to town," Jess said quickly, hoping Rory hadn't noticed the silence that had just come over them. "Do you think that you could maybe meet me at say, 9?" he asked nervously. His palms had started to sweat just thinking about what he planned to do later that evening.

_"Sure, but it's just now three o'clock," _Rory answered. _"What's going to take you six hours?" _She was curious now, and Jess decided to keep it that way.

"Oh, nothing," he responded, dodging her question. "I just have a surprise for you." Jess knew he had her hooked now.

_"Yay! I love surprises!" _Rory squeaked on the other line.

"I know," Jess responded, smiling. "So, see you at nine?"

_"See you at nine." _Rory answered. _"I love you."_

"I love you, too," Jess responded, the smile on his face growing even larger. He hung up the phone and set his phone in the cup holder next to him. He reached back into his pocket again and flipped the box open once more, examining the ring carefully. It was like it had been made for Rory. Jess flipped it shut and put it back in his pocket just as he passed the 'Welcome to Stars Hollow' sign.

He let out a shaky breath. "Now comes the hard part," he whispered to himself. "Asking Lorelai for her permission." He took a few deep breaths as he turned his car in the direction of the 'Crap Shack'. He stopped the car noiselessly in front of the house and took his hands off the wheel. He noticed they were shaking.

"Ok, you can do this Jess," he gave himself a small pep talk. "You've already asked Lorelai if you can date her. This is only a _slightly _bigger question." He took one more breath to brace himself, and then opened his car door quickly. Jess closed it quietly and took the several fatal steps toward the house, knocking on the door three times. Lorelai answered the door after a minute; she was smiling. _"Good, she's in a good mood. Maybe that will make her decision easier..."_ Jess thought to himself nervously. He smiled tightly.

* * *

"Jess!" Lorelai greeted cheerfully. "How are you?"

"I'm good, Lorelai, how are you?" Jess rushed out nervously.

Lorelai didn't pick up on his nervousness. "Great, thanks. Would you like to come in?"

"Yes." Jess answered quickly, walking into the house with determination. He walked quickly to the couch and took a seat.

Lorelai locked the door and then turned around, surprised at how quickly Jess had gotten to the couch. "So..." she asked as she walked into the living room. "To what do I owe this pleasure? And why are you by yourself? Where's Rory?"

"Rory's at the hospital. Lane had her baby today," Jess added quickly as he saw the horror on Lorelai's face. She relaxed quickly.

"Oh, ok," she said, her breathing slowing. "Now, why are you here? Not like I don't want to see you or anything, you just usually aren't the first person to make house calls, especially by yourself."

"Um..." Jess muttered nervously, wringing his hands. "I um..." He couldn't think of the best way to start one of the most important conversations of his life.

"You um, what?" Lorelai asked patiently. She wondered why he was so nervous.

Jess finally looked up at Lorelai. "I have to ask you a question."

"Ok..." Lorelai answered, not catching on.

"Ok." Jess let out a quick breath, then took another deep one. "You know that Rory and I have been dating on and off for a few years, right?"

"Yeah, Jess, I'm aware of that," Lorelai answered, still confused. "I had to comfort her every time you left."

Jess frowned. "Yeah, about that. First of all, I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry. I love your daughter, and I think the only reason I ran back then was to run from my feelings. But, I know them now," he said, looking up.

"You do?" Lorelai questioned.

"Yes." Jess said quickly, suddenly standing. "Listen, Lorelai, the reason I'm here... actually, let me go back to what I was saying before."

"Ok."

"Right. So, as I said, you obviously know that Rory and I have been dating on and off for a few years, and that we are now dating again."

"Yes, Jess, I know that. You asked me for permission this time," Lorelai said, smiling at her own joke and beginning to laugh. "Ha ha, 'yes, jess'..."

Jess cleared his throat quietly, bringing her attention back to him. "So, now that we are dating again, I've realized what direction I want to take things with Rory."

Lorelai looked back at him, surprised. "Um, ok?" It wasn't really an answer, it was a question. She had no idea what was going on.

"Well, Lorelai... I am in love with your daughter. I will never leave again, I promise. And now that I've been given this opportunity to get my life back on track, I realized that what I want is..." Jess stammered, becoming even more nervous than he was before.

"What do you want, Jess?" Lorelai urged him on.

"I realized that what I want is to spend the rest of my life with your daughter." He said it with more calmness than he felt, but after he said the words, he was at ease. He realized that those words were the words he had been waiting to say for months, _years _even.

Lorelai's mouth dropped open. "You want to... huh," was all she said, putting her head on her forehead and standing also. She looked all around the room for a few minutes, muttering incoherent things to herself. She finally brought her gaze to Jess and realized that he was squirming a little. Lorelai smiled slightly, and then sat back down. Jess did the same. "So, what are you trying to say?" Lorelai asked, now knowing where this conversation was turning.

"Lorelai, I would like your permission to marry your daughter." Jess said slowly, looking her in the eye.

Lorelai sat in silence for a few minutes, going over the situation in her mind. Rory and Jess had been dating for about a month and a half now, and she realized that things were progressing quickly between them. And then she remembered that Jess had asked her permission then, just as he was now. She smiled and looked up at Jess. She saw him wringing his hands again, looking at her nervously.

Jess wasn't sure what to think when he finally saw Lorelai smile. He raised an eyebrow at her, unsure of what her next words would be.

"Yes." Lorelai stated simply, her smile growing with every passing second.

It was now Jess' turn for his mouth to drop open. He closed it quickly however, realizing what Lorelai had just said to him. She had said yes, the one word that he needed to make his dreams come true. Well, technically, one of the two yes's he needed to hear. Jess then realized that he hadn't said anything in response to the one word Lorelai had uttered. His face broke into a smile, which overtook his face in a matter of seconds, and rushed over to Lorelai, hugging her.

"Thank you!" Jess shouted, still holding on to Lorelai.

She hugged him back, smiling just as big as he was. "What's this? Jess Mariano hugging _voluntarily_?" Jess pulled back, still grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Jess said loudly.

"Well, you're welcome," she answered. Lorelai motioned for him to sit, and she sat as well. "So, when are you planning on asking her?"

"Tonight." Jess answered simply.

"Tonight?!" Lorelai practically screeched. "Oh my God! How? When?"

"Well, I'm asking her later tonight," Jess answered slowly.

"Wow. Well, how are you going to do it?" Lorelai asked curiously.

Jess smiled, realizing where Rory got her curiosity from. Lorelai looked at him expectantly. "I'll let her tell you tomorrow," he said quietly, standing up and heading toward the door.

"Aw, come on, Jess!" Lorelai whined. "Don't just leave me in suspense like that!"

"Sorry," Jess answered her, grinning, before he shut the door behind him and headed to his car, leaving a stunned Lorelai in her living room. He got in quickly, and the smile overtook his face again.

"Oh my God, she said yes." Jess said quietly. "She said YES!" he pounded his hands on the steering wheel happily and looked at the clock. "Ok, five more hours to go..." he said quietly as he turned the keys in the ignition, heading over to his apartment.

* * *

Jess entered Luke's diner at a quick pace, shutting the door behind him rather loudly. He looked around at all of the current customers, and they looked back at him as if he were a stranger. Jess realized it was because he was smiling. He looked over to the tables behind the window and saw Miss Patty and Babette whispering away as usual. He strode over to them quickly, and they immediately stopped talking and looked up at him.

He beamed down at them. "Good afternoon, ladies," he said smoothly.

Both Miss Patty and Babette blushed, sharing a look.

"Hiya, sugan," Babette said. "What's with the smilin'?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Jess answered, turning away slightly. He knew that they couldn't stand to be out of the know. As he began to walk away, he felt Miss Patty's hand on his arm.

"Jess, wait!" she said. "Why are you smiling? I mean, it's not like I'm complaining..." Patty said, checking Jess out. He squirmed inwardly. "But what's the deal? I've never seen you smile before."

"Yeah," Babette prodded. "What's up?"

"Oh, I just thought I'd let you two know that," Jess said quietly, leaning in. The elderly women leaned in towards him as well.

"You wanted to let us know what?" Miss Patty asked excitedly.

"That you two will have something pretty exciting to gossip about very soon if everything goes well tonight," Jess whispered before turning quickly on his heel and rushing up the stairs toward the apartment. He stopped just behind the curtain, waiting for the two women to start talking.

"What do ya think he was talkin' about?" Babette asked first.

"I don't know, but I can't _wait_ to find out," Miss Patty answered. Her voice was still hushed.

"Yeah, me neither," Babette agreed before taking a sip of her coffee. "So, anyways, like I was sayin'..." Jess heard Babette go on to another subject and laughed quietly at the short attention spans of the two women. He practically skipped up the stairs and into the medium-sized room above the diner. He cracked his knuckles and walked over to the fridge, which he had just stocked with fresh food earlier that morning before he went to get the ring.

"Alright, let's get started," he said to himself as he walked over to the stereo and blasted Metallica.

* * *

About two hours later, Jess had noodles boiling on one burner of the stove, garlic simmering in another, and a pot of tomato sauce on the other burner. He stirred it and took a quick taste, adding a little more salt and a pinch of oregano. He was especially proud of this sauce: he had created and perfected it himself over the years, and it was the best sauce ever, if he did say so himself. He stirred the garlic, realizing it was ready. He quickly took it off the fire and poured it onto a cutting board, chopping it quickly. He then brushed it off the board and into the sauce quickly, not wanting to let it cool. He put a lid on his signature sauce and let it simmer. Jess stirred the noodles quickly and then walked back over to the fridge, taking out the ingredients he would need for his finishing touch: the dessert. He was planning on making chocolate souffles, enhanced with a special strawberry sauce that he made himself. He quickly assembled the items, and then carefully poured the batter into two tiny bowls for baking. He stuck them in the oven and set the timer for an hour, finally able to take a quick break. He sat down tiredly, running his hands through his hair. That's when he got a glimpse of the clock. He jumped up quickly as he read the time: 7:45. Cooking had taken a lot longer than he had originally thought it would.

"Shit! I only have a half hour before I have to get everything set up!" Jess cursed as he ran into the bathroom, showering quickly. He got ready in about 20 minutes and rushed into the kitchen, remembering that he still had to make the garlic bread. He ran to the fridge and grabbed the butter, taking the loaf of bread out of the pantry on his way there. He rushed back over to the counter and cut the bread quickly, popping it into the oven within two minutes. He lifted the lid on his sauce and stirred it, then drained the noodles, putting them in a bowl and covering them with foil. He tasted the sauce again. Satisfied, he poured it into another bowl and covered it with foil also, securing it with a rubber band so it wouldn't leak. He smelled the souffles and pulled them out of the oven carefully, smiling when he realized that they hadn't fallen. He carefully wrapped them in foil, and set them on the table with the other food. The bread finally finished, and Jess pulled it out of the oven and wrapped it in foil.

"Ok, food's done," he murmured quietly. Jess then walked over to the other bags sitting on the table and pulled out the two candles he had bought earlier in the day. He also grabbed the bottle of wine from the bag and two wine glasses from the cabinet above his head, setting them gently on the counter. He ran over to the closet and pulled out the picnic basket, smiling when he realized that the red bow was still wrapped around the handle from the last time he had used it. Not having time to become nostalgic, he grabbed the food and set it all carefully into the basket, taking extra care with the wine glasses. He walked over to his bed and put on his jacket, then grabbed the two blankets he had and set them on top of the basket. Jess nodded and took a deep breath, checking that the ring was still securely in his pocket. It was.

Jess took a deep breath and checked his appearance once more in the mirror. He nodded, walked back over to the table, and grabbed the basket and blankets. He then realized in horror who could be sitting in the diner: the townspeople.

"Oh shit," he muttered as he checked his watch: 8:37. "How am I going to get this past them?" A thought dawned on him, and he grabbed his cell phone, dialing the diner's number. He heard the phone's muffled ring from behind the door.

_"Luke's diner," _Luke greeted semi-pleasantly.

"Luke, hi. It's Jess."

_"Jess? Why are you calling me? Aren't you upstairs?" _Luke asked, semi-angry now.

"Yeah, I am, but I have to ask you a favor. I need to get this picnic basket to the bridge, can you help me?" Jess pleaded.

Luke snorted on the other end of the phone. _"Why do you need to take a picnic basket to the bridge?"_

"Because I have a date with Rory!" Jess whined. "Now, will you help me, please?"

_"Uh, sure, what do you want me to do?" _Luke asked, interested now.

"I need you to cover me when I come out from behind the curtain so I can sneak out the back entrance," Jess schemed.

_"Ok, that sounds easy enough," _Luke muttered. _"When are you coming down?"_

"Right now," Jess answered from behind the curtain. Luke jumped and then walked over to the curtain, opening it with caution.

Jess grinned at him, raising the basket slightly.

"Right, let's get this over with," Luke muttered. He began to 'fight' with Jess, making them both walk towards the direction of the back entrance. Jess was facing the front of the diner while Luke was facing Jess. After a few seconds, they finally made it to the entrance of the kitchen, and Jess smiled.

"Thanks, Luke," he said genuinely.

"Sure," Luke said gruffly. He wasn't one for the 'emotional crap', as he so kindly put it.

Jess bolted out the back door and toward the bridge, not seeing anyone in the street. "Thank _God_," he muttered to himself. He made it to the bridge in two minutes and checked his watch again: 8:45.

He let out a quick breath and laid out one blanket on the bridge, setting the basket on top of it. He took out the two candles and set them on the blanket as well, almost forgetting the holders he had to put them in. He let them carefully and shut the basket again: he wanted to surprise Rory. Then he remembered that he hadn't told Rory where to meet him. He took out his phone and quickly dialed her number.

* * *

"Hello?" Rory greeted as she looked over her make-up in the mirror for the umpteenth time.

_"Hey, babe, it's me." _Rory smiled when she heard Jess' voice on the other line, but then had a small panic attack.

"I'm not late, am I?" she asked, panic rising in her voice.

_"No, you have about fifteen minutes," _Jess responded, easing her nerves.

"Oh, ok. Well then, what is it?" Rory asked, twirling her hair around her finger to make the curl stay.

_"Well, I didn't tell you where to meet me."_

"Oh. Right." Rory answered. Now that she thought back, she remembered he _hadn't_ told her. "So, where do you want me to meet you?"

_"At our bridge," _Jess answered quickly.

Rory smiled at his use of the word 'our'. "Alright. See you in a few minutes, then?"

_"Yeah," _Jess said quickly on the other line. Rory thought he almost sounded... _nervous._ She shrugged off the feeling.

"See you soon!" she chirped before hanging up the phone and placing it in her purse. She stood up in front of her full-length mirror, checking over her outfit one last time before she left. She was wearing the same dress she had worn to the rehearsal dinner, and her hair flowed around her shoulders in loose curls. _"The way Jess likes it best," _Rory thought to herself, smiling. She nodded and let out a quick breath. She decided to walk over to the bridge, even though it was slightly chilly. A sudden wave of nerves came over her, and Rory tried to shrug it away. She had no reason to be nervous, Jess hadn't hinted that anything 'special' was going to be happening tonight. But, he _had_ told her that he had a surprise for her; he knew how much Rory liked surprises. She locked the door behind her and began her quick walk to the bridge, waving at Babette, who was sitting on her porch.

"Hey, sugah, where ya goin'?" Babette yelled.

"To meet Jess!" Rory returned before she passed. She passed a few other townspeople, pausing to talk to them all briefly. Rory had a feeling that she shouldn't be late tonight. As she finally made it to the last twenty yards before the turnoff to the bridge, Rory stopped walking and took a few calming breaths. She managed to slightly slow her heart rate, and continued on her quest. Her breath caught in her throat as she turned and saw the bridge. Jess was standing there (_"Looking ridiculously handsome as always," _Rory thought to herself), and he had set up a private picnic for them on their bridge. Complete with candles. Rory brought her hand to her mouth in shock; it was the most romantic thing Jess, or anyone for that matter, had ever done for her. She finally looked at his face and realized that he was smiling at her with one eyebrow raised in expectation. She walked up to him quietly, never breaking her gaze from his.

* * *

She stopped in front of him, still not believing what she saw in front of her. Jess didn't say anything, he was just looking at her. She blushed in embarrassment, and his smile grew.

"Hi." Rory said meekly.

"Hey." Jess returned quietly. He walked up to her and kissed her on the forehead. "Welcome."

"When did you do all of this?" Rory asked as Jess took her hand in his, lacing their fingers.

"In the six hours from when I called you at the hospital until now," Jess answered simply, sitting down and motioning for her to do the same. Rory sat down next to him and looked at the picnic basket, raising her eyebrows.

"What's in there?" she asked curiously, starting to lift the lid.

Jess' hand flew out and stopped Rory's actions. "No, allow me," he said quietly as he opened the basket and pulled out its contents, minus the souffles. (_"I'm saving those for last," _Jess thought to himself as he emptied the basket). Rory smiled as Jess pulled out each item; she couldn't tell what anything was, because he had covered it all in foil.

"What's all this?" she questioned, staring intently into Jess' eyes.

He didn't say anything, he just slowly removed the foil from the spaghetti noodles and pasta sauce, both of which were still warm. He served them each a small amount in a bowl, and handed Rory her bowl. She took it silently, staring at him. He unwrapped the garlic bread and handed her a piece; again, she took it silently. Then he brought out the wine.

Rory smiled and raised her eyebrows again. "Jess Mariano, are you trying to get me drunk?"

"Not at all," he answered, grinning. "I just thought you might like some wine to go with your authentic Italian dinner." He poured some in a glass and handed it to Rory.

"Why, thank you," she said, taking a small sip. Jess laughed when she hiccuped.

"So, shall we eat?" Jess asked, raising an eyebrow at her and smiling crookedly.

"Yes, let's," Rory answered before digging in. Everything tasted _so_ good, and Rory devoured it all. For once, Jess actually finished all of his food too, even though he spent the majority of the meal watching Rory and talking to her. The evening went by slowly, and Jess' mind kept traveling to the most important part of the evening.

"Mmm," Rory sighed happily as she leaned back on her elbows. "That was fantastic. All of it. Thank you, Jess."

"No problem," he responded. His nervousness was starting to build. "Are you ready for dessert?"

"There's _dessert_?" Rory asked incredulously.

"Of course," Jess murmured as he pulled out the two souffles. Rory gasped; no one had ever made her a souffle before. Jess handed it to her and she ate it slowly, savoring each bite. When she finished, she moved over to Jess and leaned against him, smiling.

"This night... everything... it was _perfect._" Rory said quietly, opening her eyes to look at Jess. He reached into the basket again, and Rory looked at him, shocked. "You can't possibly have more food in there?!"

Jess shook his head as the first bars of "More Than Anyone" came over the small speakers he had placed in the basket.

Rory looked at him and smiled. "You remembered."

"Of course." Jess said quietly, smiling at her. "Rory Gilmore, will you dance with me?" Jess asked as he stood and held out his hand.

"Yes I will," Rory answered, grabbing his hand. Jess pulled Rory close to him, and they danced in silence until the song ended, happy in each other's arms. As another slow song began to play, Rory pulled back a little and looked Jess in the face.

"Thank you so much for my 'surprise'. I loved it," she said quietly.

"Well, you're welcome, but that wasn't your surprise," Jess said quietly, looking into her eyes.

"It wasn't?" Rory asked, confused.

"No, this is," Jess said as he got down on one knee in front of her.

Rory gasped, not believing that this was really happening.

Jess looked up at her, pulling the ring from his pocket. "Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, will you marry me?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey everyone. So, like I always start, thanks so much for the reviews! You guys are awesome!! I especially liked the reviews for the chapter before this one. You guys rock. Anyway, here's the chapter that you reviewers have been waiting for for a few days... Hope you like it! **

**Please keep reading and reviewing, I would really appreciate it!!**

**-soonerchick7**

* * *

Rory's mouth dropped open in shock. _"Did Jess really just ask me that question? The question that I've been waiting for someone to ask me my whole life? Did Jess just ask me to marry him?" _She couldn't believe it, but the evidence was there in front of her: Jess was down on one knee, holding out a ring for her, smiling nervously. She was quiet for a few minutes, still trying to make sure that this wasn't a dream. With each passing moment, the feeling in the pit of Jess' stomach was increasing in intensity. Rory finally snapped out of her entranced state and looked down at him, smiling. Then, all of a sudden, she knew her answer, and didn't even need to hesitate. "Yes."

Jess' face fell; he wasn't sure he had heard her correctly. "What did you just say?"

"Yes, I'll marry you, Jess," Rory said more clearly, smiling.

"Really?" Jess asked excitedly. He was still kneeling.

"YES!" Rory shouted. Jess stood up quickly and picked her up, swinging her around like he had in the airport. She laughed happily, and he laughed too, smiling. He couldn't believe it: she had actually said yes. To _him_, Jess Mariano. Rory Gilmore had said yes to him. He finally put her down and took the ring out of the box, placing it on her tiny left ring finger. They were both grinning like idiots. Rory stared down at her ring finger; the ring was perfect, like it was made for her. She glanced back up at home over her dark eyelashes. Even her eyes were smiling. Jess hadn't said anything, he was just watching her. He leaned in, resting his forehead on hers and sighing happily.

"I love you," he whispered, breathing heavily.

Rory closed her eyes happily and smiled, letting out a sigh to match his. "I love you, too." Jess closed the distance between them quickly, kissing her passionately. She moaned when his tongue traced her bottom lip, begging for entrance. She quickly granted it to him, and the kiss was better than any kiss she had ever had. She brought her fingers to the nape of his neck, playing with the hair there, knowing it drove him crazy. She was right; seconds after she started her actions, Jess moaned and pulled her flush against him. She slumped into him as he teasingly started to kiss his way down her neck. Jess laughed huskily, pulling away to look into her eyes. She noticed that his were darker than usual, and it made her blush furiously. He brought his hands up to caress her cheeks, and she nestled her face into his hands. He smiled and kissed her tenderly on the lips, then pulled away slowly, watching her facial expression. Rory's eyes snapped open, and then she jumped on him, hugging him fiercely, running her hands through his hair. Jess almost fell over; he hadn't been expecting that. He wrapped his arms around her waist protectively, keeping her there; she was so light, it wasn't even difficult. Rory laughed loudly, freely; she was so indescribably happy, she didn't care if the whole town knew it. Jess moved one hand to behind her knees, the other behind her shoulders, holding her as a groom would do to his bride. Rory snuggled into his chest and sighed quietly; he kissed the top of her head.

"Hey Jess?" Rory asked quietly. Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Mmm?" he hummed, a slight smile still tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Do you know what I just realized?"

"What's that, Ror?"

"I want coffee." Rory said, her voice sounding as if she were 4 years old.

Jess' eyes snapped open, and he laughed loudly. "Only you, Rory Gilmore, would ruin the romantic moment by asking for coffee."

Rory looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin it, I just... I need coffee when I'm really excited, it keeps my adrenaline rush going."

Jess just smiled. "As you wish," he stated simply before carrying her to the diner.

* * *

Jess sat Rory down on a barstool gently, then went behind the counter and grabbed the coffee pot, pouring his fiancee a cup. _"Fiancee. I like the sound of that," _he thought to himself, causing a smile to form on his face.

Rory took the cup and looked up at him curiously after taking a sip. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

Jess realized he had been staring, again. "No, no. I was just looking at you."

"Oh, ok," Rory said quietly, taking another sip of her coffee. She held his gaze, neither of them saying a word. They stayed that way for a couple of minutes before Rory finally finished her warm beverage. "Ah, that is good stuff," she said as she pushed the cup away.

"That's it? Only one cup? I am appalled," Jess teased, turning off the coffee machine.

"Eh, I don't really need coffee right now, I'm still too high on adrenaline." Rory said simply, tracing circles on the counter top.

Jess smiled and walked around the counter, coming up behind Rory and wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed her shoulder, snuggling into the crook of her neck, taking in her presence. Rory giggled, his stubble was tickling her. She turned the barstool so that she was facing him, and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him gently. He brought his hand up behind her head, keeping her lips in place when she tried to pull away. Rory smiled, then kissed him once more lightly before pulling away.

"Come on," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the apartment stairs.

"Where are we going?" Jess asked curiously.

"Upstairs." Rory said as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Jess raised an eyebrow, but followed behind her, a nervousness creeping into his stomach. He opened the door for her and she thanked him by kissing him on the cheek tantalizingly close to his mouth. He pouted when she pulled away, making her laugh. She flipped on the light switch quickly, walking over to his dresser and going to the top drawer. She searched through until she found a tank top, then searched through the other drawers until she found her favorite pair of sweatpants. As she walked in the direction of the bathroom, she pointed at the couch. "Sit," she commanded. Jess smiled and plopped down on the couch with a dramatic sigh, then turned to Rory. She nodded, and then shut the door quickly, taking only a few short moments to change. When Jess heard the door open, he turned around and automatically smiled; he had missed the sight of Rory in his clothes. She smiled flirtatiously and then came to sit next to him on the couch, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV. She snuggled into him and Jess put his arm around her shoulders, bringing her as close as he could. Rory flipped through channels until she found a movie that she wanted to watch. Jess laughed, then looked at her, smirking.

"_The Texas Chainsaw Massacre?_ Really?"

Rory looked up at him innocently. "What? If it gets scary, I could need protection..." she whispered seductively.

Jess kinked an eyebrow. "Uh huh. And you do realize that he chops off body parts in this movie, and there's gushing blood like, every ten minutes, right?"

Rory's face turned white. Jess knew that she hated blood. She automatically changed the channel, smiling at the next option: _Casablanca. _

"Much better," Jess said quietly, making himself comfortable on the couch while Rory snuggled into him.

"You're a _Casablanca _fan?" Rory asked him, shocked.

"Don't be so surprised." Jess said quickly, trying to defend himself. "I needed something to do one night when I was staying here with Luke and he was gone; it was on TV, so I watched it."

"Uh huh, sure," Rory teased.

"Whatever," Jess shrugged. They watched the movie in silence, and Jess felt his eyelids start to droop. He looked down at Rory who, surprisingly, was wide awake. "Ror, aren't you just a little bit tired?" he asked hopefully.

"No. I can never fall asleep before the ending of _Casablanca. _Then I feel incomplete. Besides, there's only a few minutes left, and if you really get that tired, I can carry you to bed."

Jess snorted.

"What? I could!" Rory said, offended.

"Sure you could, Ror, sure you could," Jess said quietly, trying to calm her down. She let out an angry breath and then turned away from him, focusing her attention fully on the movie. Jess smiled at her meek attempt, knowing he could easily distract her. When the credits started to roll and Rory stood up angrily, Jess pulled her back down on top of him, kissing her teasingly on the neck.

"That won't work," Rory tried to reason with Jess, as well as herself. "I'm mad at you."

"Aw, come on," Jess said in between kisses, slowly making his way up toward her lips. "You know I didn't mean it. You could easily carry me. Please don't be mad."

Rory looked away from him, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to form on her face any minute.

Jess knew what she was trying to do, so he decided to make it more difficult for her. He kissed his way back down her neck to her pulse point, sucking on it lightly and grazing his teeth along it. He felt Rory shiver happily and saw the goosebumps form on her arms. He knew he almost had her. He kissed his way along her jaw, stopping a few centimeters from her lips.

"Say you forgive me?" he asked quietly.

"Nope," Rory answered shortly.

Jess kissed her on the nose tenderly, then kissed her cheek, staying away from her lips until she snapped. "Now?" he breathed, stopping at the corner of her lips.

"No," Rory whispered, her breath ragged.

Jess brought his lips so that they were hovering over hers teasingly, almost touching, but not quite. His scent mingled with hers; he was so close. "How about now?" he murmured; his voice almost non-existent.

"I..." she breathed quietly and closed her eyes, not wanting to give in to him.

"Please?" he whispered.

Rory opened her eyes to look into his. As brown met blue, her heart melted; she couldn't stay mad at him. He smiled her favorite crooked smile, and she was hooked. "Ok," she barely had a chance to get out before Jess' lips came crashing down on hers. She moaned slightly at the contact and he deepened the kiss, slowly picking her up and bringing her over to the bed. He lied down, their lips never leaving each other, and Rory lied on top of him, slowly undoing the buttons on his shirt. He tangled his hands in her hair, needing something to hang on to. When Rory had his shirt unbuttoned, she slipped it off of him and began to kiss his chest. Jess moaned quietly, and Rory pulled away, kissing her way back up to his mouth. She kissed him once more deeply on the lips and then snuggled into him, wrapping his arms around her.

"What are you doing?" Jess asked, confused.

"I'm sleepy," she murmured quietly.

Jess pouted slightly. "No fair."

"Would you be ok if we waited?" Rory whispered, almost so he couldn't hear her.

"Waited?"

"You know, until we get married," Rory added quietly.

"Oh." Jess breathed. He looked down at her and saw that her eyes were open and she was staring right at him. "Sure, that would be fine."

"Really?" Rory asked happily.

"Mmhmm," Jess hummed; his eyelids had started to droop again. "Just no more of what you were just doing, and we'll be fine, deal?"

"Deal," Rory agreed, closing her eyes again and laying her head on his chest. "Hey Jess, you know what I just realized?" she asked quietly right as Jess was about to fall asleep.

"What's that, Ror?" he asked, yawning.

"We're engaged." Rory murmured quietly.

"Yeah, I know," Jess agreed before closing his eyes. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

Jess opened his eyes slowly. The sun was glaring through the blinds, and it was hitting his face at a very uncomfortable angle. He groaned and sat up, slowly untangling himself from Rory's sleeping form. He walked across the hardwood floor quickly; the boards froze his warm feet. He practically ran back into the warmth of the bed, putting his arm back to its previous position around Rory's waist. She squirmed slightly and turned around. Jess realized she was awake, but chose to keep his eyes closed; he wanted to at least get a little more sleep than usual.

"Jess?" Rory whispered, bringing herself closer to him.

He didn't respond.

"Jess?" she urged again, bringing her hands up to trace the contours of his chest.

He shivered slightly, then spoke quietly. "You have _no idea _how good that feels." He spoke the sentence without opening his eyes, and he felt Rory jump.

"Since when were you awake?" she accused.

"Since the stupid sun tried to blind me," he answered, opening his eyes. Her face was closer than he had anticipated. She leaned up and kissed him sweetly on the lips, pulling away after a few seconds.

"Mmm," Jess murmured quietly. "That's a good wake-up call."

Rory swatted him playfully on the chest and moved away from him, standing.

"Where are you going?" Jess asked.

"I need to get coffee. Duh." Rory stated before starting to walk away from the bedroom.

"Wait, you can't go down to the diner!" Jess yelled after her.

Rory stopped and turned. "Why not?"

"Look what you're wearing," Jess said, motioning to her clothing.

Rory looked down and then back at Jess quickly. "I see nothing wrong with what I'm wearing. I'm wearing my fiancee's clothes, what's so wrong with that?"

"None of them know I'm your fiancee yet, silly," Jess said, sitting up to lean against the headboard.

"Well, then they're about to find out," Rory said with a determined look on her face. Jess stared after her as she opened the door and went down the stairs to the diner, moving the curtain away in one swift motion. She looked around at the diner's tenants: Kirk, Miss Patty, and Taylor, who was arguing with Luke over something irrelevant. They all glanced at her as she walked behind the counter to grab the coffee pot. She smiled at Luke, and he returned the gesture before turning back to face Taylor.

"Listen, Taylor, you better leave right now," Luke growled.

"Why, Luke, I am offended at your lack of etiquette." Taylor shot back, mock-offended.

"I don't really give a crap about etiquette, Taylor," Luke said. "If you don't leave my restaurant within the next ten seconds, we are going to have a seriously problem. 10, 9, 8, 7..."

"Luke, you don't seriously expect me to respond to that juvenile gesture," Taylor said.

"6, 5, 4..."

"Ok, ok! I'm going! Stop the counting!" Taylor shouted as he ran from the store. Luke laughed and then returned to wiping off the counters. By this time, Rory had walked into the kitchen and grabbed a plate, placing two muffins, four pieces of bacon, some eggs, half an orange, and two sausage links on it. She brought the plate back to the counter, setting it down before she dropped something.

"Hey Rory, can I help you with that?" Luke asked, noticing her struggle.

"Oh, thanks Luke, but I think I've got it," Rory responded, grabbing the coffee pot once more.

"Are you sure?" Luke tried to persuade her. "It's no trouble at all."

"No, that's fine, Luke, I'll be ok," Rory answered. She noticed the townspeople (meaning Kirk and Miss Patty) staring at her, then smiled, thinking of a plan. She put down the coffee pot quickly. "Hey Miss Patty, how are you doing this morning?" she asked as she waved with her left hand, showing the elderly woman her ring. Miss Patty gasped and took out her cell phone, pushing the first speed dial before remembering the 'No Cell Phone' rule that Luke had established. She stood and walked from the diner quickly. Luke spotted the ring at the same time as Kirk, who spit the orange juice he was drinking back into the glass.

"Rory, is that a--" Luke started to say.

Rory scooped up the plate and the coffee pot and walked quickly back toward the apartment. "Sorry, Luke, I gotta go. Breakfast _is_ the most important meal of the day." Luke just stared after her in shock, and Rory opened the door laughing. Jess was sitting at the table reading, still wearing his pants from the night before.

"What's this? Breakfast for me?" he asked, standing up and taking the plate from her. "Why, thank you!"

Rory laughed at him as she walked over to the cabinet and grabbed two coffee mugs. "You are so weird in the mornings."

"Hey!" Jess protested, sitting down. Rory grabbed a muffin and slowly started to take off the muffin-liner. Jess grabbed a fork and attacked the eggs. They sat there in comfortable silence before Jess remembered her motive for going to 'get coffee' in the first place.

"So, how did it go?"

"How did what go?" Rory asked, playing dumb.

"Getting coffee," Jess replied, making air quotes.

Rory laughed. "I think it went well. Let's just say the whole town should know within the hour."

Jess smiled and nodded, going back to his eggs. "Good."

* * *

Rory walked over to her purse and grabbed her phone, realizing she hadn't called Lorelai to tell her the good news yet. She hit the first speed dial button and waited impatiently.

_"Hello?" _came Lorelai's voice from the other line.

"Hi, Mom!" Rory greeted excitedly.

_"Hey, Ror! Why are you so excited?" _

"I have something to tell you, Mom," Rory said.

_"Ok, spill," _Lorelai said, playing dumb.

"Well, Jess proposed last night."

_"And what did you say?"_

"I said 'yes', of course," Rory said, smiling. "Wait, how did you know he was going to propose last night?"

_"He might've come by to ask my permission," _Lorelai said sneakily.

"What?!"

_"Yeah... So, anyway, how did he do it? He wouldn't tell me how he was going to ask you."_

"Well, he told me to meet him at the bridge at nine. So, when I got there, he had a candlelit picnic set up, just for the two of us. He made everything himself, and it was fantastic," Rory said. "Then he turned on the song that we danced to at you and Luke's wedding, which was our first slow dance. He had told me that he had a 'surprise' for me, and I assumed that the picnic was what he was referring to. But then he said, "That's not your surprise, this is." And he got down on one knee and proposed!" Rory finished. She was practically screaming the last part.

_"Oh my God, that is so adorable! Brownie points for Jess," _Lorelai said, squealing just as much as her daughter.

"I know, right?!" Rory gushed. "Oh, and by the way, I just showed Miss Patty the ring, so the whole town should know by lunchtime."

_"Why did you show Patty?" _Lorelai asked, confused.

"It was the fastest way I could think of for everyone to find out," Rory said.

_"Ah, good plan. I have taught you well, young grasshopper," _Lorelai said, imitating a samurai.

"Ah, yes you have, Master," Rory followed along. "Listen Mom, I'll meet you later and we can talk about this more, ok? I need to call Lane and tell her; she'll be really mad if she finds out about my engagement from Miss Patty."

_"Look at you, Miss Soon-to-be-married Lady," _Lorelai teased. _"I understand, though. Congratulations, and I love you!"_

"I love you too, Mom. See you soon!" Rory said before she hung up the phone.

Jess walked up behind her and kissed the side of her neck. "How'd it go?"

"Good," Rory responded, leaning into him. "One down, one to go."

"You want me to give you some privacy?" Jess asked.

"Don't you have people to call?" Rory retorted.

"Not really. Just Paul... and Luke."

"Luke already knows.

"Oh, alright. Then, just Paul, I guess." Jess said.

"Well, go call him!" Rory urged. "As soon as I get off the phone with Lane and you get off the phone with him, we can do something, ok?"

"What do you mean, 'do something'?" Jess asked curiously.

"I don't know. We could watch a movie, read, make out..." Rory counted off the options on her fingers.

"Alright, well, I gotta call Paul!" Jess said quickly before practically running from the room.

Rory laughed and pushed the number 3 on her speed dial.

_"Hello?" _Rory smiled when she heard Lane's voice.

"Hey Lane, it's Rory."

_"Oh, hey Rory! What's up?"_

"I have something to tell you."


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey everyone. So, like I always start, thanks so much for the reviews! You guys are awesome! They really motivate me, blah blah blah... Anyway, sorry I haven't updated for a few days; life got in the way. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and keep spreading the word! I just reached over 10, 000 views! Eep! You guys rock!**

**Please keep reading and reviewing, I would really appreciate it!**

**-soonerchick7**

* * *

_"Hello?" _Rory smiled when she heard Lane's voice.

"Hey Lane, it's Rory."

_"Oh, hey Rory! What's up?"_

"I have something to tell you."

_"Ok... what is it?" _Lane asked, sounding worried.

Rory took a deep breath. "Well, meandJessgotengagedlastnight." Rory let out the sentence quickly, too quickly for Lane to understand her.

_"What was that?" _Lane asked. _"I couldn't understand you, you were talking so fast."_

Rory took another deep breath. "Me and Jess. Got engaged. Last night," she said more slowly.

Lane squealed loudly on the other end of the phone; so loudly, in fact, that Rory had to hold the phone a foot away from her ear until the sudden burst of noise subsided. After she heard it stop, she put the phone back to her ear carefully. "Lane?"

_"Oh my God, Rory, that's so great! I'm so happy for you! You're engaged! Oh my God! This is just so... _exciting! _I can't believe it!" _Lane said in a slightly quieter tone; her voice was still at the highest decibel possible. Rory was sure it was one that only dogs could hear. _"Wait, you did say yes, right?"_

"Of course I said yes," Rory replied, smiling. "So, you're not mad that I didn't tell you first?" Rory asked nervously, playing with the phone cord anxiously.

_"No, I'm not mad at all! You obviously had to tell your mom, I know she takes precedence over me," _Lane responded, laughing. _"How did he do it? Tell me _everything. _Don't leave anything out."_

Rory quickly told Lane the same story she had just told her mother, putting special emphasis on parts that she knew Lane would love, like the song selection. When she finished, Lane was boiling over with questions and comments.

_"Gavin DeGraw, huh? Nice. That boy really knows how to set a mood. Wait a second, Jess can cook? When did _that _happen? And that's so cute that it was on the bridge, I can't imagine anything like that. It sounds like a dream, it sounds perfect, I wonder if--"_

"Lane," Rory interrupted kindly. "You're rambling."

_"Oh, sorry. I'm just so happy for you! This is just so exciting!" _Rory heard a door opening and closing faintly in the background, followed by Zach's voice. _"I'm home!"_ he said loudly. Rory smiled, excited that she would now have the opportunity to live like Lane. _"Oh my God, Zach, guess what?" _Rory heard Lane ask her husband. _"What?" _Zach asked, confused. _"Jess proposed to Rory last night!" _Rory could just imagine Zach covering his ears. Lane was speaking unnaturally loud again. She heard shuffling sounds and realized that Lane had passed the phone to Zach. _"Hey Rory. Congrats. That's awesome. I hope you and--" _Zach tried to say before Lane ripped the phone away from him.

"Tell Zach thanks," Rory said, laughing.

_"Uh huh. Sure," _Lane replied. _"Zach, Rory says thanks. So, anyway, who else knows?"_

"Well, I flashed my ring in the diner today. Miss Patty saw it and then practically ran out of the diner on her cell phone. Kirk saw it and spit orange juice back into his glass; and when Luke saw it, he was shocked but happy." Rory counted off the people on her fingers, nodding to herself. "Meaning that the whole town should probably know by now."

_"Huh." _Rory heard a small cry on Lane's end of the phone. _"Oh, sorry, I have to go. Grace is crying."_

"I understand," Rory said. "Talk to you later?"

_"Yeah," _Lane said quickly before hanging up.

* * *

Rory laughed as she put the phone back on the cradle. She turned around to the sight of Jess on the couch, shirtless and reading quietly. She tiptoed over to him and kissed him on the cheek, startling him. He was so absorbed in his book that he hadn't even heard her.

"Geez, Ror! You scared the crap outta me!" Jess said as he shut his book. There was no way he could focus on Hemingway now.

"Sorry," Rory apologized sweetly, sitting on his lap. She kissed Jess sweetly on the lips, giggling when he wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer. After a few minutes, she pulled away. "Do you know what today is?"

"Um... no..." Jess replied, confused.

"It's Friday."

"So?"

"So, I have a Friday Night Dinner tonight," Rory said.

Jess looked at her, still confused. "Yeah, and?"

"And, I think it's about time you came to another one."

Jess groaned and leaned back against the arm rest, closing his eyes. "Rory..."

"Come on! The last one wasn't exactly perfect..."

Jess looked up at her with a grim look on his face. "You can say that again."

"Well, maybe you can make a better impression now! You've changed, and I think that my grandparents need to see that." After she said it, Rory pouted and turned on the Gilmore Puppy Dog Eyes.

Jess groaned again. Seeing her like that made his heart melt.

"Please?" she asked quietly.

"Ugh... ok," Jess said reluctantly.

"Really?" Rory asked, smiling.

"Yes, really. I guess I can attempt to sit through one of these things. After all, they are going to be a part of my future family."

"Yay!" Rory squealed. "Thank you!"

"You're lucky I love you," Jess teased, kissing her nose.

Rory laughed. "I think you have it backwards. _You're _lucky that _I _love you."

Jess growled playfully and started to tickle Rory. She laughed hysterically, causing Jess to smile; the two were interrupted seconds later, however, by Luke bursting into the room.

"Oops! Sorry!" he apologized, walking quickly back to the door.

They separated reluctantly, but still sat closely together on the couch.

"It's fine, Luke," Jess said. "Is there something you needed?"

Luke turned around and walked back over to the couch, shuffling his feet. "I uh... actually had a question to ask the two of you."

"Shoot." Jess responded encouragingly.

"Are you engaged?" Luke's voice was barely a whisper as he finally looked up to the smiles of the two young people in front of him.

"Yeah, we are," Jess repiled, a grin overcoming his face.

"Huh," Luke said, taking his hat off and running his hand through his hair. "Well, uh, congratulations! That's... that's great."

"Thanks, Luke," Rory said, genuinely happy that he approved. She walked over to hug him, and Jess followed her. They overtook him in a group hug, and Luke fidgeted nervously after a few seconds, never one for emotions.

"Well, I guess I better go back down to the diner, people need to eat, ya know?"

"Sure." Jess said, laughing. "Hey, do you need help today?"

"Nah. You can have the day off," Luke said quietly as he walked toward the door. He was smiling now, too.

"Really?" Jess asked, thinking it was a joke.

"Really." Luke answered before closing the door behind him.

Rory and Jess looked at each other, astonished. Jess _never _got the day off. Seconds later, however, Jess hugged Rory, pulling her face into his chest. She laughed and hugged him back. They sat that way for a few minutes before Rory pulled away.

"Well, what do you want to do today? I mean, since you're a free man and all," Rory teased.

Jess placed his finger on his chin and thought. "Hmm... would you like to go out to lunch and then maybe walk around town?"

Rory looked at him, shocked. "_You_ want to walk around town?"

"Yes. After lunch, though. All of this talking has worn me out."

Rory snorted, and Jess grinned at her. "You only called one person!"

"Exactly. I hardly ever talk to people in sentences containing more than 6 words. Except for you. So, talking to Paul about all of that was very strenuous, and I need a break and some consoling, which I think can only come to me by going out to lunch with my fiancee and then walking around town."

Rory smiled. "Well, when you put it like _that_..."

Jess took her hand and pulled her off the couch. They both ignored the looks they got walking through the diner; they were lost in their own little world again.

* * *

Lorelai, Luke, Rory, and Jess got out of the Jeep and walked toward the Gilmore mansion. Jess walked very slowly, as if he were walking to his death. Rory took his hand and laced their fingers, giving his hand an encouraging squeeze.

"You'll do fine. There's nothing to worry about," she whispered quietly so that only he could hear. He looked up at her under his eyelashes, and she kissed him softly on the lips.

Lorelai cleared her throat loudly from the front porch. "Come on, children, we've got a dinner to finish as quickly as possible."

"Lorelai..." Luke warned. She looked at him with an innocent 'What?' expression, and he just laughed, adjusting his tie. Even Luke hated coming to Friday Night Dinners.

Jess and Rory finally made their way up to the door and stood behind Luke and Lorelai, who pushed the doorbell. Seconds later, they were greeted by a maid that none of them had ever seen.

"You new?" Lorelai asked.

The maid looked at her, frightened. "Yes, ma'am."

Lorelai patted her on the shoulder. "Well, good luck."

"Th--Thank you," the maid returned quietly. "You are her daughter and granddaughter, I presume?"

"Yes, we are. This is my husband," Lorelai said, pointing to Luke. "And that is Jess." She didn't want to drop the bombshell that Rory and Jess were engaged to the maid; she wanted Rory to do that herself to her grandparents.

"Please come in." They walked in quickly and Jess looked around. The place hadn't changed at all. There were still fresh flowers in the foyer, not a speck of dust was to be seen. He let out a nervous breath and Rory squeezed his hand again, just as Emily Gilmore walked into the room.

"Good evening!" she greeted cheerfully. "Lorelai, Rory, Luke. And who might this be?" Emily asked, gesturing to Jess.

"Grandma, you remember Jess," Rory said.

"Ah, yes, I do remember. I haven't seen you for quite some time. Last time you were here, you sported a black eye, didn't you?"

"Yes ma'am," Jess replied, cringing at the memory.

Emily nodded and smiled at him. "Richard!" she called. "They're here!"

"No need to shout, Emily, I'm already here," Richard Gilmore said as he entered the room.

He smiled at them. "Lorelai, Luke, Rory. And who might this be?" he said, mimicking his wife's earlier words.

"Grandpa, this is Jess," Rory said, looking between the two men.

Jess stepped forward and shook Richard's hand, determined to make a good impression. "Jess Mariano. Nice to meet you, sir."

"Nice to meet you, as well," Richard responded, smiling. "So, who wants a drink?"

"I'd like a Manhattan, please, Richard," Emily said.

Richard nodded. "Lorelai? Luke?"

"Manhattan too, Dad, thanks." Lorelai said, walking over to the couch.

"Nothing for me Mr. Gilmore, I'm driving," Luke said, smiling tightly.

"Good man," Richard murmured as he walked over to the bar.

"Rory? Jess?"

"Oh, nothing for me, Grandpa," Rory said sweetly, sitting next to Jess on the couch facing her mother.

"Jess?"

"Nothing for me either, sir, thank you," Jess said. Richard simply nodded and made the drinks quickly, walking over to his living room to join in the conversation.

"So, Rory, congratulations on your graduation," Richard began, sitting in his favorite armchair.

"Thank you, Grandpa," Rory replied. She was getting nervous now.

"Have you begun looking for a job yet?"

"Umm... actually, I have. I've applied at a few newspapers: The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, things like that." Jess smiled at her and squeezed her hand. She had an interview with the New York Times tomorrow, and he was much more excited than her.

"The New York Times is a very respectable newspaper, excellent choice," Richard said. He didn't have anything more to ask Rory, so he turned to Jess. "So, Jess, what do you do?"

"Well, I used to teach high-school English, but I've recently been working on a sequel to my book." Jess said firmly, the butterflies in his stomach shrinking slowly. He was beginning to like Richard Gilmore, surprisingly.

"Used to?"

"Well, sir, I recently had to take some time off, so I figured it would be better for me to resign."

"Hmm," Richard said thoughtfully. "You said you've been writing a book?"

"A sequel to my previous book, yes," Jess confirmed.

"Anything I might have read?"

"My first book is called 'The Subsect'," Jess said.

"You're _that _Jess Mariano?" Richard asked, intrigued now.

"I'm not sure what you mean..." Jess replied, startled.

"You're the Jess Mariano that Rory was always talking about, persuading me to read your book?"

Rory blushed as Jess looked over at her. He smiled, remembering to tease her about that later. "Yes sir, I suppose I am."

"Well!" Richard said excitedly. "This is just fantastic! I absolutely _loved _your book; it was genius!"

"Thank you, sir, good feedback is always appreciated," Jess said, smiling.

The maid walked in, interrupting them. She cleared her throat quietly. "Dinner is ready, ma'am," she said, addressing Emily.

"Oh, excellent!" Emily chirped. "Shall we?"

"Yes, Emily, we shall," Richard replied, standing. They walked into the dining room in a single file line; Jess took a seat next to Rory, across the table from Luke.

* * *

Dinner had gone by more smoothly than Jess would have thought possible. However, Lorelai wanted something eventful to happen, as always, so she finally spoke for the first time as the dinner plates were being cleared.

"So, Rory, don't you have something to tell your grandparents?"

Rory glared at her mother. She had almost gotten away with it. It's not like she was embarrassed to be engaged to Jess, she just wasn't sure how her grandparents would react.

Emily looked at Rory, her interest piqued. "What is it, Rory?"

"Um," Rory said quietly, fidgeting nervously.

"Go on, tell 'em," Lorelai urged. Rory glared at her again.

"Well, what is this news that you're speaking of?" Richard asked.

"Um... Jess and I are engaged." Rory said. She was surprised at the confidence and loudness in her voice. She closed her eyes, expecting the worst; nothing of the sort occurred, however.

"Congratulations!" Richard said, shaking Jess' hand, smiling.

"Oh, yes, this is so exciting!" Emily gushed. "Congratulations, Rory!"

Rory was shocked, as was Lorelai. "What? No intense pep talk? No FBI-like questioning?" Lorelai asked, disappointed.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Lorelai," Emily said as she hugged Rory.

"Really, Lorelai, we aren't cave people," Richard said, turning to his daughter. "It seems that Rory has finally found a decent man to spend the rest of her life with, and we couldn't be happier."

"Really?" Rory said excitedly.

"Yes." Richard responded. Rory ran over to him and hugged him tightly, causing Richard to laugh. "Well, thank you Rory," he said as she returned to her seat, smiling and taking Jess' hand under the table. Jess brought her hand to his face and kissed it, the worry instantly erased from his features.

"Huh," Lorelai muttered quietly. "Alrighty then." Luke squeezed her knee under the table comfortingly. The dessert was brought out: angel food cake with strawberries. They ate happily, and were finished quickly.

* * *

They all stood up then, walking toward the door. Hugs and goodbyes were exchanged; Lorelai was still shocked. Jess and Rory left hand-in-hand, huge smiles on their faces. As they got to the car and sat in the back seat, Rory squealed and hugged Jess.

"Oh my God, you did it! They love you!"

Jess laughed. "I guess they did, huh?"

"Yes! They most definitely did! This is so great!"

Jess covered his ears slightly. "Could you tone it down a bit, Ror? I'm pretty sure no one, not even dogs, could understand you right now."

Rory smiled. "Sorry, I'm just happy!"

Lorelai got into the front seat, stunned. Luke got in and looked over to his wife with a worried expression.

"Hey Lor, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm just dazed, I guess," Lorelai said quietly, slowly coming back to the real world. She turned around to look at Jess. "They actually liked you."

"You sound surprised," Jess responded, smiling when Rory put her head on his shoulder.

"Well, yeah, I am."

"They liked me too, Lorelai," Luke reminded her.

She turned to him. "Well, yeah, but you're not Jess."

"Hey!" Jess said, offended.

"Sorry, I'm just really shocked."

"Gee, thanks," Jess said sarcastically.

"Now where was that Jess inside, huh?" Lorelai asked, referring to his sarcasm.

"I'm generally nicer when meeting people of importance," he said, leaning back and putting his arm around Rory's shoulders.

"Wow. _That's _a first," Lorelai teased. Jess shot her a look before smiling and kissing Rory on the forehead softly.

She looked up at him, a smile still plastered on her face. "You did it."

Jess smiled and nodded. "Yup."

"I'm so proud of you," Rory said sleepily before falling asleep on his shoulder again.

* * *

Rory woke up in her room, the events of the night before flooding back to her in a rush. She smiled, remembering the way Jess had impressed them. That's when she realized it: Jess wasn't there. She stood up quickly, panicking. She walked into the kitchen, ready to scream for Lorelai, but then she saw him. Her worries immediately stopped; Jess was standing at the stove, flipping pancakes and whistling. She smiled when she recognized the song, ACDC's 'Back in Black'. She leaned against the door frame, watching him silently. He plated a few more pancakes and turned, jumping at the sight of Rory. He hadn't even noticed she was there.

"Geez!" he yelled, almost dropping the plate. When his heart rate finally slowed, he managed a smile, placing the pancakes on the table.

She walked over to him and kissed him lovingly. "Good morning to you, too."

"I'm sorry, I was startled. Good morning," Jess said as he pulled out her chair, motioning for her to sit. "Surprise."

"I've been getting a lot of those lately," Rory said with a smile, placing her napkin on her lap. "What's this for?"

"You have your interview today, and I just wanted to get your day started out right." Jess replied, grinning.

Rory's face turned white. She had completely forgotten about the interview.

"Ror? Are you ok?" Jess asked nervously, placing his hand on hers.

"What time is it?" she managed to say quietly.

"Um, 9:27, why?" Jess asked.

Rory let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God. I was thinking that I missed my interview."

"Rory, the interview isn't until 2," Jess reminded her as she eyed her pancakes, taking a huge bite.

"Shut up. I know that, I'm just nervous," she said through her full mouth.

Jess smiled and rubbed her hand before starting in on his own breakfast. "So, do you think you're ready for today?" he asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

Rory took a sip of her coffee and nodded. "Yeah, I think I am."

He grinned at her reassuringly. "Good."

Rory returned the smile and walked over to him, sitting on his lap. She kissed him lightly. "Thank you for breakfast."

"Mmm," Jess replied quietly. "Any time." He kissed her shoulder and grabbed his glass of orange juice, taking a long sip. "So..."

"So..." Rory imitated him easily.

"You're _way_ too good at that," he teased, smiling. "What I was going to say was: You told Richard about me, huh? _Begged him_ to read my book?"

Rory blushed crimson. "Well, I uh... yeah," she admitted sheepishly.

"Huh. So you really thought about me, even then?"

"Of course I did," she said quietly, turning back to face him. He smiled and kissed her on the corner of her mouth.

"Well, thank you. It apparently helped him to like me in the long run."

"He would have liked you anyway," Rory assured him. She gave him one last peck on the lips and stood up. "Well, I have to start getting ready."

"But your interview's at 2!" Jess whined as she walked towards her door.

"Yeah, so?"

"So, that's 5 and a half hours from now!"

"But the interview is in _New York_. And plus, I have to plan my most 'business-y, I'm the best person for the job look'."

"You're unbelievable," Jess said. She wrinkled her nose at him and shut the door, leaving him to do the dishes. He sighed, and stood up, taking the dishes over. He finished them quickly, looking over at Rory's door, which was still closed. He dried his hands and walked into the living room, grabbing a book off the coffee table as he sank into the couch. He smiled when he saw the title: 'Howl'. He opened the well-read book carefully, soon becoming lost in the plot. So lost that he didn't hear Rory's door open. He finally lost attention in the book when he heard Rory's high heels clicking on the kitchen floor. She was looking for something. _"Probably coffee," _Jess thought, smiling slightly. He stood up and walked into the kitchen, laughing quietly when he saw Rory standing on her tiptoes trying to reach something on a top shelf.

"Oof!" she said in frustration as she tried to reach the object.

"Need some help?" Jess asked.

"Yes," Rory said, still irritated. "Could you maybe get me that thermos from up there? I can't reach it."

Jess nodded and walked over to the place where she had previously been standing, reaching the thermos easily. He handed it to her with a smirk on his face.

"No fair, you're taller," she said reluctantly.

Jess laughed and kissed her on the temple, leaning against the counter. "So, are you ready to go?"

Rory poured the remaining traces of coffee into her thermos, then nodded. "Mmhmm."

"Do you want me to drive you?"

"No, I can drive myself, I don't want to put you out. Plus, don't you have to get to work."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Jess groaned.

"I'll try and hurry, and then we can hang out later. Sound good?" Rory asked as she walked up to him.

"Ok," Jess murmured quietly before kissing her passionately.

Rory pulled back breathlessly. "What was that for?"

"I'm going to miss you, so I figured I'd make it count," Jess said before pecking her on the lips again. "Now go, or you're going to be late."

Rory sighed and walked to the door, turning to get one last look at Jess. He smiled her favorite one-sided smile, and she smiled back before closing the door and heading over to her car, opening the door. She set her coffee in the cup holder and turned on the ignition.

"Here we go," she whispered to herself as she pulled out of the driveway to her interview.

* * *

"Miss Gilmore?" the secretary said.

Rory looked up from her book. "Yes?"

"They'll see you now."

"Oh, ok." Rory replied, grabbing her briefcase and heading in the direction to which the young woman pointed. She opened the heavy oak door after taking a deep breath.

"Hello, Miss Gilmore," a woman greeted. She looked to be in her mid-40s, but she had obviously had some work done.

"Hello," Rory responded.

"Please have a seat."

"Thank you."

"So, why do you want to work for the Times?" the woman asked, pulling out a pen to write on the papers in front of her.

"Well," Rory started. "I've wanted to be a journalist for as long as I can remember. I just love to write, it's something that I've always loved to do. I really want to work at this paper specifically because, well, I believe you're the best, and I would love to work for the best."

The woman wrote down a few notes before looking up at Rory. "What do you like to write about?"

"Oh, pretty much everything. I love politics, I'm particularly interested in the upcoming presidential election," Rory said. The woman smiled, placing her hands together in a prayer-like position and putting her fingers to her lips. Rory took that as her signal to continue. "I'm also interested in world issues, like the AIDS epidemic. I'm mostly a person who writes about other people, basically."

"I see," the woman said. "Why do you think I should pick you?"

"I'm sorry?" Rory was taken aback by the question.

"Why do you think that of all the applicants that I have met today, I should pick you?"

Rory hadn't been prepared for this one. She thought for a few minutes before answering carefully. "Well, I believe that I have something new to offer your paper, something that hasn't been seen before now. I'm a fresh mind, a fresh opinion, and I think that I could contribute to the overall impression of your paper quite well. I love writing more than I love reading, which is saying something. I think that the newspaper is an important medium for getting out the issues that we are currently faced with today. Most people read it every day, or at least receive it every day. I think I could contribute my unique ideas and mold them with those of your other talented staff members. I think you should pick me because... because I'm real," Rory finished.

The woman smiled and nodded. "Welcome to the New York Times, Miss Gilmore," she said simply.

Rory's jaw dropped in shock. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am completely serious," the woman answered, gathering up her papers and placing them in the file in front of her.

"Thank you so much," Rory gushed as she stood, shaking the woman's hand. "You will not be disappointed, I can promise you that."

"Oh, I can tell that I won't," the woman replied as she walked toward the door. "So, where will you be living?"

"I'm sorry?" Rory asked, again taken aback by the question.

"Will you live in New York? Or will you continue to live in... Connecticut, was it?" the woman asked, consulting her file.

"Um, I'm not really sure. I'll need to discuss it with... well, with everyone," Rory said quietly.

"Please do that and get back to me as soon as you can. My name is Mrs. Smith, but you can call my secretary. I look forward to working with you in the near future, Miss Gilmore."

"Thank you," Rory murmured quietly as the woman left the room. She got out her cell phone and pushed the first speed dial as she left the building, waiting.

_"Hey, how'd it go?"_

She smiled when she heard his voice. "Great. I actually have to talk to you, though."

_"Ok..." _Jess' voice was uneasy.

"It's not bad, I just have some stuff to ask you."

_"Alright..." _Jess was still unsure.

"I'll be back in an hour and a half or so, we can talk then, ok?"

_"Ok. I love you," _Jess said.

"I love you, too. See you soon," Rory said before hanging up her phone. She got in the car and turned on the ignition, unsure of where her next conversation with Jess would lead.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey guys. So, like always, thank you so much for the reviews! I'm almost at 100, so keep at it! Thanks for reading and staying with me, you guys rock! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, I've had a tiny bit of writer's block and real life get in the way. Anyway, here's the new chapter! So, spread the word about this story and check out my new Quogan piece, 'Made For Each Other'. I might be starting a Lolliver (Lilly and Oliver from Hannah Montana) one soon too, so look out for that one! **

**Please keep reading and reviewing, I would really appreciate it!**

**-soonerchick7**

* * *

Rory walked into Luke's, nervously wringing her hands.

Luke looked up from the cash register. "Hey Rory!"

"Uh, hey Luke."

"Ya hungry?"

"Nope."

Luke's jaw dropped. A Gilmore was never NOT hungry. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Rory replied. "I just need to talk to Jess. Is he here?"

"Yeah, upstairs. Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine," Rory said as she walked through the curtain and up the stairs. She knocked on the door quickly, noiselessly.

"Come in," came Jess' muffled reply on the other side of the door.

Rory opened it and walked in, smiling at the sight before her. Jess was seated at the table reading, his ankles propped up on the table. He glanced up and shut his book instantly, taking her into his arms and planting a kiss on her lips.

"Well, _hello there,_" Rory teased when Jess pulled away to rest his forehead on hers. He smirked and Rory laughed.

"Hello. How did it go?"

"That's actually what I have to talk to you about," Rory said as she walked toward the table and sat down nervously in one of the chairs.

Jess' stomach fell; he had blocked that part of their phone conversation out of his head, and now it was back to hit him in the face. "Ok..." he said nervously as he sat down across from her.

Rory was staring at her hands folded on top of the table. When Jess placed his hand on top of hers she glanced up at him from underneath her eyelashes.

"Rory, spill."

"Ok, well, as you know, I had an interview today with the New York Times..."

"Yeah..."

"Well, the interview was going ok, not spectacular or anything. And then the woman interviewing me asked why she should pick me for the job."

Jess nodded, urging her to continue.

"Well, I let out this whole speech that I didn't even know I had in me, and then the next thing I know..." she trailed off.

"The next thing you know... what?"

"I got the job." Rory finished. She was still stunned.

A smile spread across Jess' face as Rory watched him for a reaction. "That's fantastic, Ror! Congratulations! Did you take it?"

"Well, I told the woman I wasn't sure."

"What? Why?"

"Well, she said that I had to decide where I was going to live, in New York, or here." Rory was getting really nervous now.

"Ah," Jess said, bringing his hands together on the table.

"Yeah," Rory muttered quietly.

"Well, what're you going to do?" Jess asked quietly.

Rory looked up at him. "I--I don't know. I mean, you just moved here to be with me, there's the engagement to think about, and my family, my whole _life_ is here. I can't just pick up and leave it all." Rory put her head in her hands. "But, then there's the New York option."

"The New York Option?"

"Yeah. You _live _in New York, and the headquarters of the paper is there, and I absolutely _love _the city."

"So... what're you trying to say?" Jess asked.

"Well, what I told the interviewer was that I had to discuss it with... with... _you_." Rory said, finally looking up at him.

"Huh." Jess was stunned.

"Yeah, so... what do you want to do?"

"What do _I _want to do?" Jess looked up at her.

"Well, yeah." Rory responded. "I mean, now that we're engaged, this decision is as much mine as yours. What do you want?"

"I want you, Rory," Jess answered simply, walking over to her and grabbing her hands, making her stand.

"Huh?"

"Listen, I don't care if we live in Stars Hollow, I don't care if we live in New York, we could live in a freaking cardboard box and I would be happy, as long as I had you." Jess murmured softly. He brought a finger to her chin, pulling her up to face him. "Ok?"

"Really?" Rory whispered.

Jess smiled. "Really, really."

"So, I can choose?"

"You can choose."

Rory smiled and kissed him softly on the lips, then pulled back, looking around the room and out the window at her small hometown. She then thought to what she had seen and thought of New York, and tried to picture herself there. In both scenarios she included Jess. She looked back at him after a few minutes; he hadn't said anything, he didn't want to motivate her decision one way or another.

"I choose here."

Jess smiled and pulled her close. "You choose here. Good choice."

Rory smiled and took in the scent of Jess, closing her eyes tightly.

* * *

Rory took out the business card the New York Times secretary had given her and took a deep breath, dialing the number. It rang twice, and then someone finally answered.

_"New York Times, this is Brenda."_

"Hello, this is Rory Gilmore. I had an interview earlier this morning?" Rory reminded the young woman.

_"Oh, yes, I remember. How may I help you, Miss Gilmore?"_

"Well, I was wondering if you could possibly give Mrs. Smith a message for me?"

_"Sure, hold please," _Brenda answered. Rory heard a shuffling of papers in the background, and then the sound of keys typing. _"Yes, what is the message?"_

"Well, she and I had discussed where I would live if I took the position, and so I guess it's a two-part message. First, would you please tell her that I accept the job offer?"

_"Mmhmm," _Rory heard Brenda answer, followed by the sound of furious typing. _"And the second part of the message?"_

"That I have decided that I will be living in Connecticut rather than New York."

More typing was heard, and then Brenda answered: _"Very well. Thank you, Miss Gilmore, and welcome to the New York Times."_

"Thank you," Rory said quietly before hanging up. She smiled when she felt Jess' arms wrap around her waist. He kissed her ear softly and she snuggled into his chest comfortably.

"So, are you happy?" Jess murmured quietly.

"Mmmm," Rory responded.

"I actually thought we should talk about something else too," Jess said quietly.

"Ok." Rory turned to face him, and he wrapped his arms around her again easily. "What is it?"

"Well, it has to do with the wedding..."

"Ah," Rory responded. "I was having the exact same thought this morning.

"What thought?" Jess asked, confused.

"About the date?"

"Well, yeah, how'd you know what I was thinking?"

"Oh, just because I know you so well..." Rory teased, smiling as she kissed him lovingly on the lips.

"That you do," Jess agreed. "So..."

"I was thinking maybe near the end of August, end of September. I think a mix of a summer and fall wedding would be nice, don't you think?"

"My thoughts exactly," Jess whispered quietly, kissing her on the nose. "What day?"

"Hmmm..." Rory thought aloud. "How about the 30th?"

"Sounds perfect," Jess agreed, nodding.

Rory smiled and kissed him lightly, pulling away quickly when she realized what this decision had just brought with it.

"What?" Jess asked.

"I just realized, now that we've picked the date, I have to tell my mom, and we have to get planning! I only have 2 months!" She was panicking, and Jess realized it. He silenced her with a kiss.

"Ror, it'll be fine, you'll get everything done way ahead of time, you and I both know that. Your mom is in the diner right now, you and I both know that, too; so, just go tell her, and then you guys can start all of your planning tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok." Rory obliged, kissing him again. She pulled away again. "Wait, why tomorrow?"

"Because," Jess answered, kissing her again. "I haven't seen you all day, and I was thinking maybe we could have a movie night or something."

"Oh really?" Rory teased.

"Yes," Jess muttered quietly, kissing her neck.

"Well then," Rory said, pulling away. She laughed when she saw Jess protest. "I will see you in a little bit. I have things to discuss with my mother."

"Aw, Ror, come on, that's not fair," Jess whined.

Rory opened the door and as she walked out, said: "Life isn't fair, honey."

* * *

Lorelai smiled when she saw Rory bounce out from behind the curtain separating the apartment from the diner.

"Why, hello beautiful daughter of mine!" she shouted across the room. Luke glared at her, but when she winked at him and he blushed, she knew she had him. "Good to see that you are, in fact, still among the living."

"Ha ha," Rory laughed sarcastically. "Good to see you too, mother."

"May I ask, what has put you in this blissful mood?"

"Oh, maybe the fact that Jess and I just picked a wedding date!" Rory whispered the last part excitedly.

Lorelai screamed in excitement, causing Luke to run over to the table.

"Are you ok, honey? What's wrong?" Luke asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Lorelai snapped. "I'm just happy."

"So happy that you had to make half of the people in here deaf?"

"Yes, _that _happy."

"Well, why?"

Rory laughed and Lorelai smiled. Luke looked between the two of them, confused. "What's going on? Are you two plotting something?"

"No, no," Rory said in between laughs. "Mom's just happy because Jess and I finally picked a wedding date!" Again, she said the last part quietly.

"Well, congratulations!" Luke said, smiling. "That's great!"

"Thanks, hun, we know that already," Lorelai said, patting him on the arm. He scowled at her and she smiled. "All this charm, I wonder why we didn't get together sooner," Lorelai teased, looking at Rory. "Now, shoo, husband. Us women have things to discuss."

"Whatever," Luke grumbled under his breath, walking away from the table.

"Wait!" Lorelai screeched.

"What? What's wrong?" Luke instantly went into panic mode again.

"Kiss, please."

Luke bent down and kissed his wife lightly, then pulled away and grabbed the coffee pot from their table, smiling.

"Aw, cute, Mom," Rory teased, still laughing.

"Shut up, this is not about me. It's about you. Now," Lorelai started to say as she pulled out a huge binder from her overly sized purse, which Rory just noticed.

"What is _that?!_" Rory asked, staring at the huge object in awe.

"A wedding book. Duh." Lorelai answered as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

"Oh." Rory was still stunned.

"Now," Lorelai started again, opening the book loudly. "Wedding date... When did you say it was?"

"August 30th."

"Ok... August 30th..." Lorelai filled in a few spaces on a piece of paper which Rory realized looked vaguely like a wedding invitation.

"Mom, what is _that_?!" she asked again.

"An invitation. Geez, Rory, you'd think that since you're a Yale graduate and all, you'd be able to keep up."

"Why is there an invitation?"

"_Because_," Lorelai said. "It's a rough copy of what your invitations could look like. Now, I'm thinking we need to get this coffee to go and then head back on over to the house, because we have a lot of planning to do in 2 short months. Luke! Coffee to go, please!" she shouted across the crowded room.

"Got it!" Luke shouted back, walking over to them quickly with two to-go cups.

"Alright, let's go," Lorelai said to Rory as she stood up quickly.

"Um, Mom?" Rory asked as they practically ran out the door and toward the Jeep.

"Hmm?"

"Well, um, not that this isn't what I've wanted to do since the day Jess proposed, but he uh... he actually wanted to hang out with me tonight. He was thinking that you and I could have all day tomorrow for planning."

"Oh." Lorelai said as she shut the door and started the car. "When are the two of you planning on 'hanging out'?" She put air quotes around 'hanging out' and raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Ew, Mom, I am _so _not talking about that with you! But, we were planning on hanging out at like, eight-ish."

"Well," Lorelai said, checking the car radio. "That gives us a good hour and a half to start planning, so let's get started!"

Rory laughed when her mother revved the engine and peeled out of the parking space, heading way over the speed limit to get to the Crap Shack more quickly.

* * *

"Ok, so now that we have the date, what do you think of this invitation?" Lorelai asked once they were seated on the couch with a bowl of popcorn with M&M's mixed in.

Rory grabbed the sheet of paper that Lorelai held out. It read:

_Please join us to celebrate the union of:_

_Jess Mariano to Lorelai (Rory) Gilmore _

_on August 30th, 2008_

_at __ p.m. _

_at __._

Rory looked up at her mother confused. "What's with the blanks?"

"Well, I wasn't sure when or where you guys wanted to get married, so I left those parts blank."

"I think we are definitely getting married at the Inn," Rory answered, pulling her phone out to text Jess. _"Would you mind getting married at the Inn?" _she typed.

Her phone vibrated seconds later. _"Sounds perfect. :) Where at the Inn?"_

_"Our clearing in the trees where you told me you loved me?" _Rory typed, smiling at the memory.

Her phone vibrated again. _"Perfect."_

_"What time of day?"_

_"What do you think?"_ Jess asked her.

_"Night? I've always dreamed of having a moonlit wedding."_

Rory looked up at Lorelai, who was waiting patiently. "He says he wants to get married at the Inn, and we'll get married in this little clearing that he found, I'll show it to you tomorrow." Her phone vibrated again.

_"Gr8 idea. Love you, talk to you soon."_

Rory responded quickly. _"Love you, too." _

"Well?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh, we're thinking a moonlit wedding. So, how about somewhere around 10 p.m.?" Rory asked hopefully.

"Ok..." Lorelai said quietly as she penciled in the newfound details. "There, your invitation is complete."

"Gimme!" Rory shouted, taking the paper from her mother's hands once more.

_Please join us to celebrate the union of:_

_Jess Mariano to Lorelai (Rory) Gilmore_

_on August 30th_

_at 10:00 p.m._

_at the Dragonfly Inn._

Rory smiled. "It's perfect, Mom."

Lorelai smiled. "Great. Now, once you decide the color scheme, we can send out an order to the printers."

"Oh, I already have one in mind," Rory said, setting the invitation carefully on the coffee table.

"You do?"

"Yeah. Blue, brown, and white."

"What color of brown, exactly?"

"Chocolate brown."

"Why those three colors?"

"Well, it will sound silly when I tell you..." Rory trailed off, blushing.

"Try me."

"Well, brown because that's the color of Jess' eyes, blue because that's the color of my eyes, and white because I already have the flowers picked out, and they look the best in white."

"Ok..." Lorelai said, writing down the color scheme on top of the invitation, and then again on a few other pieces of paper. "What flowers did you have in mind?"

"I always thought gardenias were really beautiful," Rory said quietly, smiling as she flipped through the wedding book.

"Aw, I love gardenias," Lorelai said, smiling and writing down the information. "Good choice, hun."

"Thanks, Mom." Rory said, looking up. "This is all coming together so fast... It feels unreal."

"I know, sweetie. But, haven't you always imagined your wedding?"

"Yeah," Rory admitted. "Especially my wedding to Jess."

Lorelai laughed. "I always knew it, too."

Rory blushed crimson.

"Don't be embarrassed, hun."

Rory laughed nervously, then calmed down.

"So, we need to make you a cake appointment at one of the bakeries so that we can make that selection, you need to show me the location, and we need to call Darcy. Then we need to set away a whole day for you to go dress shopping, then linens, then registry... Ooh, it's going to be so fun!"

Rory nodded happily, grinning from ear to ear. "Wait, who's Darcy?"

"Oh, she was my wedding planner, she's a creative genius. So, just so you know, pretty much the next two weeks are going to be non-stop wedding planning. Are you ready for that?"

Rory nodded again.

"Is Jess?"

"He will be," Rory said quietly. "So, let's call this Darcy lady and arrange a meeting for tomorrow morning at say... 7:30?"

"7:30? As in, in the _morning_?" Lorelai asked, shocked.

"Well, yeah. I was thinking we could meet with Darcy, arrange a cake tasting for tomorrow afternoon, and then I could show you the location at lunchtime. Then we could maybe browse through this book of yours and make me a dress fitting appointment? Oh, and Jess and I will need _at least _a week for registry, linens, flowers, things like that. And then we'll have to make sure that _he _likes the cake," Rory had taken out her phone (a BlackBerry) and was making sure that her schedule was open for all of these options. She smiled when she finally looked up to see Lorelai staring at her as if she had three heads. "What?"

"Wow, I've never seen anyone switch from nervous to excited to business-like in such a small amount of time. You really are my kid."

"Oh, gee, thanks Mom," Rory laughed. Her phone alarm went off. "Well, listen, I've gotta go hang out with Jess and drop all of this on him. Can you call Darcy and schedule that appointment for tomorrow morning? We'll meet at Luke's, ok?" Rory said as she stood up and gathered her belongings.

"Yes sir," Lorelai said, saluting.

Rory laughed. "Bye, Mom."

"Bye!"

* * *

Rory burst into the apartment and plopped down on the bed next to Jess, letting out a dramatic sigh.

"Well, hello to you, too," Jess said, smiling and kissing her on the forehead.

"Hi." Rory realized then that Jess was only wearing a pair of sweatpants and a pair of boxers. She walked her fingers up his chest lightly, making the breath catch in his throat. "Well, what were you doing before I got here?"

"I was actually reading, so get your mind out of the gutter, Ror," Jess reprimanded, still teasing her.

"Uh huh, sure," Rory said quietly as she kissed him on the jaw lightly, leaving a trail of kisses all the way to the bottom of his chin.

Jess tried to focus, but found it extremely difficult, due to the way his fiancee was teasingly kissing him. He let out a frustrated sigh and rolled her on top of him, kissing her fiercely. After a minute or so, Rory pulled away, gasping for air.

"Wow. Wh--What was that for?" she asked breathlessly.

Jess grinned. "I was just making sure that you believed me. And, I missed you," he admitted.

"Is that so?" Rory teased, grinning back at him. "Well, I was actually planning some stuff for our wedding, believe it or not."

"Not."

"Very funny. But seriously, I do have some stuff planned, and I have something to tell you."

"Ok," Jess said, letting Rory fall off of him and snuggle into his arms, placing her head on his bare chest. She listened to his heart beating for a few seconds. "Ror?" Jess brought her out of the trance.

"What?"

"What did you plan for the wedding?"

"Oh, the location, time, color scheme, and flowers. I also have a meeting with a wedding planner tomorrow morning, and then the next few weeks are pretty much booked with wedding stuff. Speaking of which, what are you doing in two weeks?"

"Nothing that I know of, why?"

"Because, we are going registry shopping in two weeks."

"As of when?"

"As of now." Rory grinned up at him, pleading with her eyes.

"Ok, fine, I'll go," Jess relented. "Can I also meet this wedding planner tomorrow?"

"Sure!" Rory chirped. "She'll be here at around 7:30, I'd guess, so you and I can just get up as if you were getting ready for work!"

"Great!" Jess said sarcastically.

"Are you not excited?" Rory said sadly, looking down.

"Hey," Jess nudged her shoulder with the arm he had placed around her. She looked up at him. "I am very excited to be marrying you. And I'm sure I'll be excited to meet this wedding planner, too. What's her name?"

"Darcy."

"Darcy," he repeated. "Is Lorelai coming to this meeting?"

"Of course she is. She's helping me with the planning." Rory reminded him.

"Right, how could I forget?" Jess teased, kissing Rory lightly. "So, what's the color scheme? And what're the flowers?"

"Is Jess Mariano actually interested in the minute details of his wedding?" Rory asked, mock-amazed.

"Ha ha, very funny. Seriously, tell me."

"Well, the flowers are going to be gardenias." When Jess looked at her confused, Rory shrugged it off. "I'll show you a picture tomorrow."

"Ok, what are the colors?"

"Brown, blue, and white."

"May I ask why?"

"Your eyes are brown, mine are blue. And the white was just a nice little addition."

Jess smiled. "You put a lot of thought into this, didn't you?"

"You bet I did," Rory grinned.

"That's my girl," Jess said as he kissed the tip of her nose. "So, what do you want to do tonight?"

Rory looked up at him. "Movie and takeout?"

"Sure. What movie and what takeout?"

"Definitely Chinese. And as for the movie..." Rory tapped her finger on her chin. "How about 'You've Got Mail'?"

"I don't have that movie, Ror."

"I know you don't, but we can rent it on pay-per-view," Rory said happily. "It's time we brought you into the 21st century, Mr. Mariano."

"Funny." Jess said. He reached over and grabbed his phone, dialing their favorite takeout place. He ordered one of everything, and Rory smiled when she persuaded him to get an extra order of egg rolls. "There is no way we are going to be able to eat all of that food, Ror," Jess said as he hung up.

"Maybe you can't, but I certainly know I can," Rory said as she stood up and walked over to the dresser, searching through the drawers for her favorite pair of sweats and a tank top. "Close your eyes," she said to Jess.

"What? Why? It's my apartment!"

"Because I said so, Peeping Tom. Now, close."

"Ugh, no fair." Jess whined as he closed his eyes and covered them with his hand.

"Done," Rory said 30 seconds later. "You can take your hand off your eyes now."

Jess peeked out from between his fingers and saw that she was telling the truth. He sighed sadly. "That wasn't very nice of you."

Rory crawled back onto the bed and nestled into him comfortably, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm sorry."

"Uh huh," Jess said as he wrapped an arm around her. There was a knock on the door. "Yeah?" Jess called loudly.

"Jess?" Luke's muffled voice came through the door.

"What is it, Luke?"

"I've got some takeout for you. Could you come take it, please? I have to get back to the diner."

"Yeah, one sec," Jess said, untangling himself from Rory and walking over to the door. He opened it and took the food, smiling. "Thanks, Luke."

"Are you going to eat all of this by yourself?" Luke asked as he handed the food over.

"No, Rory's here."

Luke's eyes practically bugged out of his head.

"Goodnight, Luke," Jess said, grinning from ear to ear as he shut the door. He walked over to the sink and grabbed two forks, then brought the food back over to the bed.

"Food!" Rory shouted, bouncing up and down on the bed like a child.

Jess took the boxes out of the bag, feeling a sense of deja vu. He remembered the last time he had had Chinese with Rory; it was in her dorm room, before they watched 'Almost Famous'.

Rory grabbed a box of beef lo mein and a pair of chopsticks that she found in the bag, ignoring the fork Jess held out to her. She slurped up a few noodles before leaning back against the headboard happily. Jess grabbed some kung-pao and went to sit next to her, grabbing the remote. Rory snatched it from his hand.

"Hey!" he protested.

"Shh..." Rory said as she selected their movie and pushed play. "The movie's starting." She snuggled into Jess and he smiled, realizing that the rest of his life was soon to be like this every night.

About halfway through the movie, Rory's eyelids were starting to droop, and she felt heavier against Jess side. He looked down at her and saw that she was sleeping happily. He carefully cleared off the bed and covered Rory with a blanket, sitting back down next to her and taking out his book. He flipped open to the page he had last ended on and began to read.

* * *

The alarm went off, and Rory bolted up. Jess rubbed his eyes and opened them wearily, surprised at her energy.

"Ror, have you already had coffee this morning?"

"No," Rory said as she walked toward the bathroom. "I'm just excited. Aren't you?"

"Uh huh," Jess said, closing his eyes. "I'd be excited to sleep for a few more hours."

"Well, too bad, sleepy. We have a wedding planner to meet, so up, up, up!" Rory said cheerily.

"God, since when are you a morning person?"

"Oh, be quiet, you baby," Rory said as she closed the bathroom and locked the door, turning on the shower. A few minutes later, she was walking around the apartment in just her towel, wet hair cascading down her back. Jess choked on the coffee he had just begun to drink, his eyes bulging. _"Oh. My. God. Rory is naked under that towel." _Jess thought to himself. He forced himself to tear his eyes away from Rory.

"Hey Jess?"

"Hmm?" he asked, staring at the wall in front of him.

"Have you seen my jeans? I think I left them there last time I slept over."

"Um, they should be in the closet," Jess said, his voice cracking slightly.

"Oh, ok, thanks!" Rory said as she grabbed the last of her clothes and went back into the bathroom.

Jess let out a breath and ran his hands through his hair. "Oh, geez, this is bad," he muttered to himself.

Rory stepped out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, fully clothed (_"Thank God," _Jess thought) and ready to go. She glanced at the clock.

"Jess, it's 7 o'clock, aren't you going to get ready?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Jess said quietly, looking anywhere but at her. A slight blush came to his cheeks.

"Jess, are you _blushing?_" Rory asked, shocked.

"What? No, I'm not--I'm not blushing," Jess said quickly as he raced toward the bathroom. Rory grabbed his hand and stopped him, forcing him to look at her.

"Hey, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jess answered honestly. "I uh... I just didn't know that you were uh... that you were planning on coming out of the bathroom without clothes on."

"Oh," Rory said, smiling. "Sorry about that, I guess it just slipped my mind."

"Ok."

Rory kissed him deeply, sighing. "Go get ready, huh? You're a distraction."

"You think _I'm _a distraction?" Jess asked quietly, taking her hands in his.

"Mmhmm," Rory said, kissing him again. Her mind went hazy. "Now, go, please, before I can't remember my name anymore."

Jess laughed. "That good, huh?"

"Shut up, don't be so cocky," Rory said, smacking him lightly on the chest.

Jess laughed louder as he walked into the bathroom and got ready quickly. He was out of the bathroom within 10 minutes, and he opened the door to see Rory sitting at the table reading the paper, a cup of coffee against her lips.

"Are you ready?" Jess asked, coming up behind her and kissing her on the cheek.

Rory gulped down the last of her coffee. "Yeah, let's go."

Jess opened the door for her. "After you."


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey guys. So, like always, thank you so much for the reviews! We got over 100, yay for us! So, I'm still on vacation, and really enjoying it! Luckily, I have some free time now that it's... 12:21 in the morning. So, here's a chapter!! Oh, and ms.tookie.clothespin and lillitgirlx2, thanks so much for telling me why Rory and Jess are called 'Literati'! It makes sense now, haha. **

**And those of you who don't know what it means: Literati is apparently a word that describes well-educated people who are interested in literature. Therefore, it makes a ridiculous amount of sense that this word is used to describe our favorite pairing. :)**

**Thanks for the reviews, and please keep reading and spreading the word!**

**-soonerchick7**

* * *

Rory walked down the stairs, Jess close behind her, and moved the curtain aside. She smiled at the looks she received from the customers, looks of happiness, confusion, and overall acceptance. She scanned the room for Lorelai, finally spotting her sitting with a woman who looked to be about her same age. Darcy. She was wearing a Metallica t-shirt and jeans, her hair loosely curled. Jess took in her appearance as well, smiling when he saw her t-shirt; he took it as a good sign that their wedding planner liked Metallica too. As they approached the table, Rory laughed loudly as Lorelai took a huge sip of something from a glass and rubbed her temples lightly. She sat down on the chair across from her mother, and Jess sat across from Darcy.

"Good morning, Mom. How's being up this early?" Rory teased.

"Quiet, you," Lorelai growled before taking another sip of the mystery liquid.

"Watcha drinkin', Mom?"

"Orange juice."

"Not coffee?" Rory asked, shocked.

"No," Lorelai said tartly. She decided to change the subject. She took a deep breath before making the introductions. "Rory, Jess, this is Darcy. Darcy, this is my daughter and the bride-to-be, Rory. And this is Jess, the groom-to-be." She let out the rest of her breath quickly before shouting: "LUKE!"

Her husband scrambled out from behind the counter and over to their table quickly. "What can I get you? More coffee?"

"Yes, coffee would be lovely," Rory interrupted. "Could I also have a chocolate chip muffin, please?"

Luke nodded as he wrote her order down, then turned to Jess. "Jess?"

"Uh... nothing for me, thanks. Just water and a stack of pancakes, heavy on the syrup."

"But you just said-- Never mind. You want anything else, Lor?"

"Um... do you have apple pie?"

"Not for breakfast."

"Come on, just this once?" she pleaded, fluttering her eyelashes lightly.

"Ugh, you know I hate it when you do that..." Luke moaned as he adjusted his hat.

"Please?"

"Ok, fine. Just this once, though. Coffee too?"

"No." Lorelai said. "Orange juice would be nice, thank you."

"I'm sorry, what? Lorelai, did you just say you don't want coffee?"

"Yeah, got a problem with that?"

"No, no," Luke answered quickly, looking over at Darcy, who shook her head.

"Nothing for me, thanks," she said politely in a crisp British accent. Luke walked away from the table, and Rory glanced up at her mother incredulously. Lorelai silenced her with one look, mouthing: "We'll talk about this later."

Rory nodded before turning to Darcy. "So, Darcy, I've heard so much about you from my mom, and I'm really interested in seeing some of the opinions and plans that you have."

Darcy smiled brightly, bringing a binder out of thin air. She opened it carefully, flipping it to a divider that said 'Jess&Rory'. There were a few blank pieces of paper, and then millions of magazine pictures with blue, brown, and white. Rory stared at it in awe as Darcy flipped through the pages quickly.

"Right," Darcy began. "So... you have the color scheme, right? Blue, brown, and... white is it?"

Rory nodded.

"Ok, and you said you wanted gardenias for the flowers?"

Rory nodded again, still dumbfounded.

"That sounds easy enough... And you picked the same venue as your mother..." Darcy was penciling everything in as she spoke, scribbling furiously. "We need to make you a dress fitting appointment, and we need to do a cake tasting and menu planning; find a DJ, work on a possible table setting, assemble a guest list, and then register you at you and your husband's favorite stores..."

Jess' jaw dropped when he heard the long list of things on the agenda that they still had yet to accomplish. _"Just when I thought we were going to have it easy..."_

"That all sounds wonderful," Rory finally said, her words finally returning. "I have changed my schedule around to make sure the next month is as free as possible. So, throw some dates at me, and we'll get started."

Darcy pulled out her palm pilot and went to the calculator, searching for available dates. "We could do the cake tasting tomorrow, I suppose. Does that work for both of you?"

Jess nodded, and Rory nodded too.

"Perfect. Rory, we can do dress fittings every day next week if you wanted. Jess, we'll need to do a tux fitting for you, too."

"That sounds absolutely wonderful," Rory said. She turned to Jess. "Are you free next week, babe?"

"Yeah, actually. I made my schedule just as free as you have, Ror."

Rory smiled widely and then turned back to Darcy. "This may be easier than we thought, huh?"

Darcy nodded and continued to ramble off more dates, and Jess vaguely payed attention. His mind had just thought up a great ending for his latest book, and the wheels in his head were turning furiously, trying to remember everything. He grabbed a pen from his pocket and a few napkins, writing down the basic outline.

"Jess, did you hear that?" Rory asked, bringing him out of his literary fog.

"Hmm?"

"That we're going to register two weeks from today. Can you do that?"

"Sounds great, Ror," he replied quickly, smiling.

Darcy snapped the binder shut. "Well, now that we have everything under control, I must be going, I have another appointment. Rory, I'll see you this afternoon for guest list planning, yes?"

"Yeah. Thank you _so_ much, Darcy, for everything you're doing. You're a life saver." Rory said as she stood up to give the woman a hug. She pulled away and linked fingers with Jess, who was standing next to her.

"Thanks, Darcy, like Rory said. We really appreciate it," Jess added, smiling at the woman. "Oh, and nice shirt." He smirked.

Darcy looked down. "Why, thank you. I've always loved Metallica. I was a groupie, to be quite honest." She blushed and looked at them both, grinning from ear to ear. "Alright then, I must be off."

"Bye!" Rory called out the door before sitting back down and letting out a relieved sigh. Jess rubbed soothing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb, and she smiled at him. Luke took that as his cue to bring them their food, setting all of their plates down quickly before refilling Jess and Rory's coffee cups.

"Are you sure you don't want any coffee, hun?" Luke asked Lorelai again.

"No, Luke, I'm fine, thank you."

Rory stared at her mother again, beginning to realize that she needed to talk to her mother immediately.

"Hey Jess?"

"Yeah, Ror?"

"Would you mind if um... I hung out with my mom today instead of you? She and I need to talk about some stuff."

"Uh... ok..." Jess replied, confused. He kissed Rory tenderly before grabbing his stack of pancakes and his cup of coffee, standing. "I'll be upstairs, just come on up when you're done hanging out with your Mom and we'll watch a movie or something."

Rory nodded.

"Bye, Lorelai." Jess added.

"Later Jess."

Rory watched her fiancee walk away before turning back to Lorelai quickly. "Alright Mom, we're going home right now."

"Why? We just got our food!" Lorelai whined.

"Because, we need to talk. Just get the pie to-go, ok?" Rory said as she stood up and wrapped her muffin back up. "Hey, Luke, can we have all of this to-go, please?"

"Uh, sure," Luke answered from behind the counter. "You two leaving?"

"Yeah," Rory said as Luke packed everything up. "Thanks Luke! Mom, come _on_," she added as she pulled Lorelai out the door and toward the car.

* * *

Rory sat down on the couch next to Lorelai, looking at her sternly. "Ok, Mom, spill."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Lorelai tried to dodge, glancing away from Rory.

"Oh, _come on_, Mom. Apple pie for breakfast? Not drinking coffee? I know something's up. Are you... _pregnant_?" She whispered the last word.

Lorelai looked back and met Rory's eyes, smiling now. "I am," she answered proudly.

Rory screamed. "Oh my God, Mom, that's fantastic!" Rory hugged Lorelai tightly. "Does Luke know?"

Lorelai pulled back and looked at her toes. "I'm not really sure how to tell him. So... no."

"Mom, how can you _not_ tell him something like this?" Rory asked, shocked.

"I don't know, I just... I don't really know how he'd take it, ya know?"

"He'd be _thrilled_, Mom! You know he would!"

"Yeah... I know you're right. I just... How would you tell someone something like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what if _you_ were pregnant. How would you tell Jess?"

Rory choked on the water she had been sipping. "What? Mom, I'm _not_ pregnant!"

"I know that, but, theoretically."

"I don't know, I guess I'd just make him dinner or something, and then tell him that I needed to tell him something after dinner, then just tell him."

"You make it sound so easy," Lorelai said as she looked down again.

"That's because it _is _easy, Mom. You need to tell Luke, like, tonight."

"Ok, I know you're right. But, tonight? It seems a little soon."

"When did you find out?"

"Um... Last week."

"Now's the perfect time to tell him, Mom. It's not too late, but not too early that you're not sure."

"Huh."

"So, you're doing it? Tonight?"

"Tonight," Lorelai said, nodding. "Hey, don't you have an appointment with Darcy now?" she asked, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Oh, crap, I do! Alright, well, congrats again, Mom, and tell Luke tonight, ok?" Rory said as she hugged her best friend. She felt Lorelai nod into her shoulder. Rory walked to the door quickly, closing it behind her quietly.

* * *

Jess sat on the bed with his laptop on his lap, typing furiously. He had almost forgotten to grab the napkins he had been writing on earlier that morning when Rory had banished him away from breakfast. He practically sprinted down the stairs and just barely stopped Luke from throwing them away. He glanced down at the napkin again, remembering his train of thought and continuing to type. He had his iPod headphones in, Duran Duran blaring loudly. It was his favorite writing music. He was so absorbed in the music and his writing that he didn't even notice the door open, the exasperated sighs, or the small brunette sitting next to him on the bed. She 'hmphed' again, and realized that he didn't notice her. She moved to sit behind him and slowly removed one of his headphones; he barely stirred, he was so focused. Rory started to massage his shoulders lightly, and he began to relax.

"What are you working on?" She breathed into his ear quietly.

"Oh, just an end to my book," Jess answered as he continued to type, his focus dwindling.

"Oh?" Rory started to leave a light trail of kisses along his neck.

"Mhm," he murmured, trying to turn his focus back to the paragraph he had been working on. However, when he felt Rory slowly start to kiss the skin behind his ear and near his pulse point, he was a goner. He clicked 'Save' quickly before snapping the laptop closed and turning to capture Rory's lips in a heated kiss.

He pulled back, frowning. "You, Rory Gilmore, are quite the distraction."

Rory smiled guiltily. "Am I?"

"Yes, you are," he replied, turning around and letting her massage his shoulders again. He closed his eyes, savoring in the relaxation that Rory always seemed to provide for him. He moaned softly when she went to work on a particularly tight part of his shoulder. "So, how was the meeting with Darcy about guests?"

"Oh, great. We got the whole list planned!"

"Really?" Jess asked, his eyes snapping open. "How many people are on it?"

"About 25."

"Wow, talk about an intimate wedding."

"Hey, it'll be nice. I thought you said you didn't want a huge wedding."

"Oh, I don't. It's just nice that you remembered at all. Who is on the list?"

"My mom and Luke, your mom and TJ, Sookie and Jackson and their kids, Lane and Zach and their kids, my grandparents, and the townspeople. Oh, and Matt."

Jess smiled, turning his head to kiss her softly. "You remembered."

"Of course, he's your best friend, silly."

"Well, yeah," Jess admitted. "That guest list sounds perfect. Great job, babe. Who knew that you could be so organized?" Jess teased lightly.

Rory swatted him on the chest. "Hey, shut up, I'm an extremely organized person!"

"Oh, I know you are, Ror." Jess said, laughing.

"Then why are you making fun of me?" Rory asked angrily. She could feel her face beginning to flush and her nostrils starting to flare.

"Because you're so sexy when you're angry." Jess admitted, looking up at her from under his long eyelashes.

Rory glared at him. "Are you serious?"

Jess nodded, moving closer to her, just inches from her face.

Rory couldn't focus when he was that close, his smell was intoxicating. It messed with her senses, blurring the line of actual reality and dreams. He parted his lips as he continued to lean in, speaking softly.

"Come on, Ror, don't be angry," he murmured. "You know I was just messing around." He was now less than an inch away from her, his lips hovering just over hers.

Rory couldn't stand being mad at him, she realized as she leaned in to kiss him deeply, weaving her fingers through his unruly hair. He smiled, knowing he had just won this 'fight', and that they would probably have many more like this in the future. It was a happy thought.

Rory sighed as she pulled away, laying her head on his chest as he sat back against the headboard.

"Hey Jess?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Rory." Jess answered as he kissed the top of her head, smiling. "We have a cake tasting tomorrow, you know."

"Mmm, cake," Rory said quietly before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

Jess laughed. "You have such a one-track mind," he whispered quietly to himself, closing his eyes as well.

* * *

Rory and Jess walked into the bakery, their fingers laced, smiling. They saw Darcy at the counter, and she waved them over.

"Hello you two," she greeted happily.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"So, shall we get started here?" Darcy asked.

Rory nodded vigorously. Jess laughed and smiled.

Darcy pointed to an area behind the counter. "Right this way, then."

Rory was bouncing up and down happily as they walked in the direction of the tasting room, and Jess just watched her with a slight smirk on his face. She reminded him so much of the child in his dream, Lori. His child. His and Rory's child. It was hard to wrap his head around the fact that that dream could come true relatively soon.

Rory pulled him to the table, squealing when she saw all the options laid out before them. She rubbed her hands together in excitement.

"So, what would you like to start with? We have the vanilla, the chocolate, the red velvet, lemon, raspberry, marble, pumpkin..."

Rory thought, then quickly decided. "Chocolate, please." Darcy slid a plate over to both Rory and Jess, and Rory immediately took a huge bite. "Oh my God, this is absolutely fantastic. Next, please."

They went through every flavor on the table: fruits, marbles, cheesecakes, three types of red velvet, coconut, everything imaginable. Rory sat back and sighed happily, looking at the vast array of plates around her. She looked over to Jess and he shrugged, telling her that she could decide. Rory thought for a long time, but her mind kept coming back to the first cake she tried, the chocolate.

"Jess, what did you like?" Darcy asked.

"I liked the chocolate, the coconut, and I really liked the lemon."

"Ok... Rory, what about you?"

"The same, actually. But, maybe not the lemon so much. Fruity cakes aren't really my style."

"Right. Well, we could do a cake that was two tiers chocolate, two tiers coconut."

Rory looked at Darcy, her jaw dropping. "Are you serious? We could do that?"

"Absolutely."

Rory looked at Jess, seeing that he was also smiling at the proposition of this fantastic sounding dessert. He locked eyes with her and nodded.

"That sounds perfect, Darcy. I think we just made our decision."

"Wonderful. And how do you want this cake decorated?"

"Uh... I don't really know."

"Well, I have a few style options in mind..." Darcy said as she pulled out her wedding binder. She grabbed a few sheets of paper from the middle of the 'Jess&Rory' section, then laid them down on the table. "We have this here, a simple white frosting with blue and brown accents, sugar gardenias, and a lovely tier shape."

Rory nodded, signaling for Darcy to continue.

"Or, we have this one, which is a kind of blue and brown argyle all over the cake. Much more modern, but wouldn't necessarily match the wedding."

Rory looked thoughtfully at the picture, trying to imagine the scene in her mind. This cake wasn't in it. She shook her head.

"We also have this one with a lovely paisley kind of pattern all over the cake; very classic. There is also the option of alternating the pattern for every other layer, to make the cake look less busy."

The moment Rory saw the cake, it clicked. She loved everything about it, it was perfect for her vision. She also loved that the pattern would be alternated. "Yes. This is perfect. Jess, don't you think this is the perfect cake for us?"

Jess looked at the picture carefully, examining every detail before answering. "You're right, Ror. It is perfect. I love it. You want to do this one?"

"Yes, please." Rory said as she nodded quickly.

"Alright, then I will make the order," Darcy said as she took the piece of paper with their order to the head baker.

Jess grabbed Rory's hand from across the table, smiling.

"We just picked out our wedding cake," Rory said in an astonished voice.

"I know." Jess said in return, soothing her with the circles he was rubbing on her hand.

"I can't believe that we're actually doing this."

"I can."

Rory looked at Jess, her eyes wide. "You can?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"How?"

"Rory, I know I've never told you this before, but... I've been in love with you from the first moment I saw you. We clicked. I was just a bad boy trying to be good, and you were like the answer to my prayers. Luke told me to stay away from you, and that just made me want to spend more time with you. When we were friends, and you were still with Dean, I knew that I had to break the two of you up. It was killing me that you were with him. So, I set to work on my little plan, which you and I know about, to break up you and Dean. When it worked, and then we were together, I knew that you were the one for me, and I also knew that I could see myself spending the rest of my life with you."

Rory wiped the tears away from her eyes as she smiled up at him. "Really?"

"Really." Jess said before leaning in to kiss her. He pulled away slowly, looking Rory in the eyes. "That's why I know that we're going to be great together. And that's how I believe that we're actually doing this."

"Oh, Jess," Rory whispered before kissing him again.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey guys. So, like always, thank you so much for the reviews! You guys are so awesome! I got back from vacation, so I'm going to try and update as often as I can before I leave for California in a week. Here is the newest chapter, and we are finally going to see a little bit of angst going on. I know, I know, this story isn't really angsty, but I just need to add a little anger in there to spice it up a little bit. But, do not fret, everything will be resolved, because I am a hopeless romantic at heart, and I love happy endings. So, be prepared for the angst!**

**Thanks for the reviews, and please keep reading and spreading the word!**

**-soonerchick7**

* * *

Jess rolled over in bed, his arm searching for the familiar body that usually slept next to him. Truthfully, he and Rory hadn't actually _slept together _yet, because Rory wanted them to wait for the wedding. Jess didn't mind it, he'd do anything for Rory. But, it had become the all-too-familiar custom that Rory would come up to the apartment after her wedding planning stuff and she and Jess would get some alone time. She would usually end up falling asleep, and then she would spend the night. Then they would wake up the next morning and cuddle for awhile before she left to do even more wedding planning. That's why Jess' eyes snapped open this particular morning. When his arm searched for Rory's petite form next to him, she wasn't there. He regretfully opened his eyes, confused, and looked around, listening for the sound of the shower or Rory walking around in the kitchen. He didn't hear anything. He sat up and rubbed his eyes tiredly. That's when he spotted the lavender envelope resting on top of Rory's pillow with _Jess _written on it in her familiar scrawl. He smirked and picked it up, opening the letter quickly. He began to read.

_Hey babe,_

_Sorry that I wasn't there when you woke up this morning, I know you hate it when that happens. I'm sorry. Anyway, in my defense, it is my Mom's fault. She called me at about 6:30 this morning to tell me all of the details about the pregnancy talk with Luke. _

Jess' eyes widened. He hadn't known Lorelai was pregnant. He continued to read.

_Oops, I just realized that I hadn't told you that yet. So, yeah, my mom is pregnant with Luke's child. So, anyway, apparently everything went well, and Luke's really excited and everything, just like I said he would be. As you are reading this, I'm probably at a meeting with Darcy, discussing fitting schedules for my dress. But enough about that, it's a surprise. ;) _

Jess couldn't believe she had actually just written a winking smiley face at him. He laughed softly.

_Now that you're awake, take a shower and get ready. You need to get out of the apartment today. Actually, no, you need to get out of the building today, ok? Just, walk to our bridge and read for awhile or something, I know how much you like to do that. You could finish your book, too, since I won't be there to distract you. Go ahead and turn up that Metallica and go into a typing frenzy, I don't really mind. So, this is pretty much all. Again, sorry that I wasn't there when you woke up, I promise I'll make it up to you later..._

_I love you,_

_Rory  
_

Jess sighed as he folded the piece of paper back up and placed it back inside the envelope, putting it in the top drawer of his night stand with the others he had collected over the years. He had never told Rory this, but he had kept everything Rory had ever written to him, notes, letters, e-mails, _everything. _He kept them all in a large tin box he had found one day next to the bridge; it was decorated with a single word in a complicated cursive: _Literati_. He had looked up the word later and realized that it was the perfect word to describe Rory and himself. So, he decided to keep everything in there. Also in the box, however, were the countless love letters that Jess had written to Rory but never sent. He had put a date on everyone, just so he could document their relationship. They ranged from when she was dating Dean and they were 17, then spread to the time he came back and first saw her, when they were dating, and then after he left the second time; they continued as the years went on and Rory was at Yale, when he hardly saw her, when he missed her the most. Jess thumbed through them slowly, looking at the different colors of the paper due to age. His handwriting had remained consistent, and it surprised even himself. He took out the most recent one he had been working on just days earlier, grabbing his pen from the top of the night stand. Since he and Rory had gotten back together, especially since they were now engaged, he had begun to write more and more letters to her, sometimes even 2 or 3 a day. At times he felt like the whole box was a big cliche, but then he thought, _"Screw it. I love this girl, and she's the only one who's ever seen behind my 'tough guy' exterior. With our relationship, a little cliche is good." _

Jess clutched the letter in one hand, the pen in the other, and walked over to the kitchen table. He set down his materials and walked downstairs quickly, making a beeline for the coffee pot. The intense noise of the diner always messed with his thought process; he much preferred the quiet solitude of the apartment. He kept his head down, not acknowledging anyone, and quickly poured himself a glass, turning quickly to run up the stairs. He locked the door and sat at the table again, letting out a relieved sigh. He cracked his knuckles and smoothed out the paper, picking up his pen and tapping it against his chin, waiting for inspiration to come. Nothing immediately came to mind, so he reread what he already had down.

_Dear Rory,_

_We picked out our wedding cake today. I know that I never told you this, but I absolutely love everything you're doing for our wedding. The colors, the guest list, the location (especially the location), and most of all, you. I am so lucky that you chose me and only me to spend the rest of your life with. I can never express the full extent of my love for you, no matter how many times I tell you each day, or how many letters I write you. You are the most beautiful person I know, in every way. Not just on the outside, but on the inside as well; you are like my angel. I know that sounds like something that I would never say, and believe me, it isn't. I discovered today as I watched you frantically searching through wedding cake patterns that you are the only person I have truly been myself with. You know everything about me, and I still learn new things about you every day. I love the chase, especially the fact that we still have it, even when we are engaged. I love the sound of that, I can never say it enough. Rory Gilmore is my fiancee. I just want to shout it to the rest of the world. _

"Damn," Jess said quietly. "This girl has turned me into a complete sap." He scribbled a few more lines slowly and read the letter over once more, satisfied.

The last lines read: _The thing that I learned that I love about you today is that you inspire me. More than anyone. I have never needed someone as much as I need you, and sometimes that scares me, that unbreakable need. You help make me sane, every day. I love you so much Rory Gilmore, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you._

_I love you always and forever,_

_Jess_

* * *

Rory let out a sigh as she unzipped the tenth dress of the day. There had been a few that she was certain would be absolutely perfect, but when she tried them on, they didn't call out to her. She knew it sounded cheesy, but she wanted her wedding dress to speak to her in a way that no other article of clothing ever had. It had to be perfect, she _needed _it to be perfect. She looked around the dressing room for the next option, but didn't see one. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Hey Darcy?" she shouted over the top of the dressing room door.

"Yes, Rory?"

"Where's the next dress?"

"There isn't one, I'm afraid. That was the last piece they had laid out for you."

Rory frowned before slipping on the robe she had been given and walking out of the changing area toward her wedding planner. "Are you serious? They only laid out ten dresses? How is that possible?"

"Well, madam, people usually find the right dress after trying on 2 or 3, not ten."

Rory groaned angrily. "Well, then we're going to have to go to another store. I need to find my perfect dress, and if it isn't here, then we'll just have to keep looking."

Darcy simply nodded, making a note on her clipboard. "Alright then, let's go."

"Are there any stores close by?"

"Not that I know of..." Darcy said as she looked at a map on her PalmPilot.

"Well, let's walk around then! I haven't done that in ages." Rory said as she turned around to put her clothes back on.

"Walk around?"

"Yeah, you know, just walk around downtown Philadelphia. I'm sure we're bound to find _something._"

--

Rory walked through the busy crowds of Philadelphians quickly, Darcy barely able to keep up with her. She stopped at every window, hoping to find a dress shop; so far, however, that hadn't been working. Rory had stopped in front of twenty stores so far, and only one of them was a dress shop, but not for wedding dresses. It was for prom dresses. Rory let out a quiet string of curse words when she realized this, and continued to walk on angrily. She mumbled something incoherent, and Darcy struggled to hear it.

"What was that, Rory?"

"I _said_, why aren't there any decent dress stores in this damn town?!" Rory threw up her hands in the air and turned around to face Darcy. "We've been searching for hours, and nothing! How is this even _possible_?"

Darcy gave her a pleading look. "I'm sorry, Rory. I don't really know what else to say. We can keep looking, if you would like, or try another town later this week..."

"No, I don't _want _to try another town, I'm _tired _of looking. I just want my dress!" As soon as the words left her mouth, Rory spotted something out of the corner of her eye. Could it be? The store she had been looking for? Rory's breath caught in her chest as she walked across the street and stood in front of the window, her jaw dropping in amazement. The store was hidden deep in the city, unnoticed by people passing by. She looked at the window display, and a smile broke across her face. She smiled at the name of the store: "Phenomenon."

"Darcy!" Rory shouted over the lull of traffic.

Darcy ran up to Rory, breathing heavily. "Yes, Miss Gilmore?"

"I think this is it."

"I beg your pardon?"

"This. This is the store. The place where I'm going to find my wedding dress."

Darcy looked at the store and a confused look came across her features. "Are you sure?"

Rory nodded furiously. "Yeah. Let's go in."

As they walked into the store, a small bell rang, disrupting the silence. The cashier looked up and she smiled brightly before walking over. Rory looked around at the countless options and her smile grew; she knew she would find her perfect dress in this very store. She was brought out of her reverie by the cheery voice of the cashier.

"Hello, and welcome to 'Phenomenon'! My name is Charlie, how may I help you?"

"Hello, I am Darcy Williams, and this is Rory Gilmore. She is looking for her wedding dress, and we are hoping that you might be carrying it." She said the rehearsed speech in her crisp British accent as she pulled out her clipboard.

Charlie shifted her gaze from Darcy to Rory, and a smile seemed to overtake her whole face. "That's wonderful! I would be happy to help you, Miss Gilmore."

Rory returned the smile, giddiness building up inside her.

"Is there a certain dress style you have in mind?"

Rory thought back to her dream from months ago, the dream where she had been marrying Jess. She smiled fondly at the memory, and struggled to remember details. She remembered that the dress was very simple, and that her veil had been almost translucent.

"Well, I was thinking of a simple dress, in white, maybe sleeveless? Um... I'm not exactly sure of the cut of the neck... but do those details help at all? I'm sorry to be so vague," Rory apologized.

Charlie nodded and turned swiftly, heading in the direction of a few dresses near the front of the store. "Please follow me, Miss Gilmore."

Rory obliged and followed silently.

"What dress size are you?"

"Um... 2 or 3, I think."

"Perfect..." Charlie mused to herself as she searched through the large clumps of taffeta and silk, humming quietly as she did so. She picked out a few dresses and then continued to walk throughout the store, plucking various items off of the shelves. She made her way to the dressing area and set all of the hangers carefully on the hooks provided. "Here you are, Miss Gilmore. Feel free to take all of the time you need, there is no rush."

Rory smiled as she was ushered into the medium-sized room, her eyes glazing over a bit at the possibility that her search could end today. She put on the first dress slowly, but felt nothing. The dress was beautiful, a nice cream-colored silk that draped beautifully, but it wasn't the right one. Rory continued this process for every other dress she tried on, loving all of them but not loving them enough to make them her final decision. She noticed that after she took off each dress and shook her head that Charlie's smile started to waver ever so slightly. Rory knew it was ridiculous, but everything had to be perfect. Darcy was just finally starting to understand, and Rory wasn't going to attempt to explain it to anyone else. She took off the last dress sadly and shook her head once more, looking at Charlie with tears in her eyes.

"Another 'no', Miss Gilmore?" Charlie asked helplessly.

"No. I'm sorry, but I guess you just don't have what I'm looking for." Rory said sadly as she began to redress her self.

Just then, a light bulb went off in Charlie's head. "Wait! I think I have one more dress that you might like." She barely got the last words out before she disappeared deep into the back of the store. Rory heard boxes being moved and the clatter of a few boxes of shoes falling to the floor. "Here we are," Charlie said as she reentered the room, holding a black garment bag slightly covered in dust. She shook it off before handing it to Rory. "I think this might be what you've been looking for."

Rory took the bag carefully as if it were a fragile object; she didn't want to ruin the dress that she hadn't even seen yet. She hung it up and looked at Darcy nervously before turning back to slowly unzip the bag. When she finally got the zipper all the way down, Rory sucked in a deep breath. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen, made of white silk with some light beige lace covering the bodice; it had two thin straps which were also covered in the same lace, and the veil was made of a gauze-like material. Rory gingerly slipped the dress out of the bag, smiling when a small train on the back of the dress fell to the floor. She realized the true age of the dress when it she turned it around to unzip it and there was no zipper, only buttons with small loop holes to fasten. She smiled when she slipped on the dress and buttoned it back up; when she looked over at Darcy, she saw tears in her eyes as she smiled softly.

"Darcy, can you get my mom on your phone?" Rory asked quietly as she turned to face herself in the mirror.

As the sentence left her mouth, Lorelai came through the front of the store and walked quickly in the direction of the dressing room. She swung open the curtain and gasped at the sight of Rory, a smile gracing her features. "No need, I'm already here!"

"Mom!" Rory squealed as she walked over quickly to Lorelai, embracing her carefully so as not to wrinkle the dress. "You're here! But... how?"

"Darcy called me early this morning, I've been driving ever since! I'm so glad I got to see you, you look beautiful!" Lorelai gushed. She reached up quickly to wipe away a few tears that spilled over the edge of her eyelashes.

Rory turned again to face herself in the mirror, and she couldn't keep from smiling. She turned to Charlie. "Charlie, this is perfect. Thank you _so _much, I can't even begin to express my gratitude."

Charlie nodded. "I was right, the dress looks like it was practically made for you. Would you like to buy it?"

"Yes!" Rory shouted as she began to examine her reflection in the 270-degree mirror. She twirled slowly, smiling and laughing happily.

Charlie laughed quietly and walked to the register, ringing up the price of the dress. Rory undressed quickly and ran to the register, bouncing up and down happily. Charlie laughed again as she typed in the final numbers.

"So, how much is it going to be, then?" Darcy asked.

"It's going to be 378.00 with tax," Charlie said. "Will that be alright?"

"That's perfect," Rory said as she whipped out her credit card. Darcy began to protest, but Rory stopped her. "Trust me, this is how much I get paid in a _week _at the Times. It's not a problem."

Lorelai smiled and draped an arm around Rory's shoulders. "Well, kid, you did good."

Rory signed her name on the receipt and grabbed the garment bag quickly. "Thanks, Mom."

* * *

Jess rubbed his eyes and focused his attention on the last words of his book. He frowned when he read them over. They didn't sound right. He pushed 'Delete' quickly and watched the words disappear into the void of cyberspace. He sighed angrily and stood up, hearing his knees pop when he stretched. He glanced at the clock and saw that he hadn't moved in 4 hours, hadn't eaten anything. As if to confirm his thoughts, his stomach rumbled loudly. He walked down the stairs to the diner and sat down at the counter, ignoring Kirk's pleas to talk to him. Luke walked over to him and gave him a 'look'.

"What's goin' on, Jess? Rough day?"

Jess shrugged. "I just can't think of an ending for my book. I'm in a little bit of a slump."

Luke nodded knowingly. "Well, she should be back soon."

"Who?"

"Rory. She's the reason you can't think of anything to write, right?"

Jess shrugged again. "Maybe, I don't know." He was silent for a few moments as Luke walked around and took other people's orders. Waiting, he grabbed the coffee pot and poured himself a cup, something that had now become habit from his days working at the diner. He took a deep sip and sighed, looking around the room, thinking of what he wanted to eat. Luke returned and put his elbows on the counter, waiting patiently.

Jess turned to face him with a smirk. "So, I hear congratulations are in order, _Daddy._" He put a stress on the last syllable.

Luke smiled a rare smile. "Yeah. Thanks. But if you ever call me 'Daddy' again, I will push you off the bridge."

"Again?" Jess teased.

Luke rolled his eyes in frustration. "So, what can I get you?"

"Cherry Coke, cheeseburger and fries, please."

Luke nodded as he wrote. "What kind of cheese you want on that burger?"

"Cheddar, please."

Luke nodded again and walked away, leaving Jess alone with his thoughts again. His phone vibrated, and it caused him to jump. He hid it stealthily under the counter, knowing that Luke didn't allow cell phones. It was a text message from Rory.

_'Hey. How's your day going?'_

'Ok. I'm having a little bit of writers block, though.'

Rory drew a frown-faced smiley. _'I'm sorry.'_

'It's fine, don't worry about it. So, how has your day been? Did you find "the dress"?'

_'Yes! I finally found it, Jess! It's so perfect, I can't even begin to tell you.'_

'What does it look like?'

_'Nice try. You don't get to see it until the wedding, Romeo.'_

Jess drew a pouting smiley face. 'No fair.'

_'Sorry. At lunch with Darcy and my Mom, I'll be back soon though. Want to hang out when I get back?'_

'Of course. I missed you today.'

_'I missed you too. Oh, gotta go, Mom's yelling at me. Love you.'_

'Love you, too. See you soon?'

_'You got it.' _

Just as Jess snapped his phone closed, Luke set his plate down on the counter. Jess looked up and smirked before digging in.

"Jess, what do you have under the counter there?"

"Nothing, Uncle Luke, why do you ask?"

"Was that a cell phone?" Luke's voice began to rise.

Jess put on a look of false innocence. "Oh, no, Uncle Luke, it wasn't a cell phone, honest!" He brought his eyes and face back to his plate, trying to hide his smile.

"Jess, I swear, if I see that thing in here again, there will be hell to pay. Got it?"

Jess saluted. "Got it, sir."

Luke grumbled something and walked away, making Jess laugh quietly to himself. He listened to the sounds of the diner, glad for once that the noise kept him from listening to his thoughts. It was then that he heard Miss Patty and Babette talking.

"Hey Patty, do ya know what I heard?" Babette tried to whisper.

"What?"

"I heard that Dean is back in town. Apparently he just got divorced from that little wife of his." Jess eyes automatically narrowed at the sound of Dean's name. He absolutely hated that guy, even now. He listened more intently to their conversation.

"Why do you think he's back?" Miss Patty asked curiously.

"Well, between you and me, I think he's back for some sorta redemption or somethin'."

Miss Patty nodded and looked over at Jess, who had just looked away in time. "Do you think it has something to do with... you know who?" Miss Patty whispered as she pointed at him.

"I'm not sure, but all I know is, life's about to get pretty complicated around here." Babette answered.

He was fuming now, just the right mood to finish his book. He grabbed his plate and walked up the stairs quickly, slamming the door of the apartment. He walked over to his laptop the last words of his story finally coming to him. He typed them quickly and hit save before shutting the computer. He put it on the coffee table quickly and then slammed his fists into his pillow, falling into a fitful sleep.

* * *

When Rory got back into town, she couldn't keep from smiling. She had just found the perfect wedding dress, and she wanted to tell everyone she saw. There wasn't much else left to do except for registering for gifts, and then she and Jess would be finished planning and they could finally get some alone time. Rory started to hum to herself happily when she realized this. She smiled at everyone and waved as she walked down the street past her favorite bookstore. She stopped in and looked through their selection, settling on 'To Kill A Mockingbird'. She bought it quickly and walked over to the gazebo, where she sat down on her favorite bench and began to read one of her favorite books. She sat undisturbed for awhile, just reading and listening to the sounds of the town. After an hour or so, she remembered that she had promised to meet Jess. Shutting her book quickly, she grabbed her purse and headed in the direction of Luke's, hardly able to wait to see her fiancee. When she was about a block away, she heard someone shouting her name.

"Rory! RORY!"

She turned and was met face-to-face with Dean Forester, a man she hadn't seen in 6 years, maybe more. He looked exactly the same as he always had, and she smiled politely at him. He was still her friend, after all.

"Hey, Dean," she greeted semi-impatiently, she wanted to see Jess, being around Dean still made her kind of uneasy.

"Hey, Rory, how are you?" Dean asked as he pulled her into a hug. Rory hugged him back awkwardly before pulling away.

"I'm good, thanks. How are you? How's your wife?"

Dean dodged the question. "I'm great, actually. It's really good to be back in town."

Rory smiled meekly and looked up at him curiously, knowing that he had just dodged her on purpose. "Dean, why _are_ you in town?"

Dean looked at his toes. "Oh, um, no reason."

"Dean, come on, tell me the truth."

"Well, I just got divorced, so I figured I needed a change in scenery." He said it in a surprisingly happy tone of voice, and Rory just stared at him.

"I'm so sorry, Dean, I didn't mean to pry. How are you doing?"

"Great, actually, really great," Dean said as he took a step towards her.

"G--Good," Rory stuttered. She was beginning to have a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she couldn't look away.

Dean took another bigger step, and now his face was just inches from hers. "I really missed you, Rory," he whispered as he leaned in.

Rory didn't have a chance to say anything, because right when she opened her mouth to speak, Dean kissed her. Rory's mind was so confused that she wasn't even sure what to do, her legs seemed to be frozen in place. She knew she should run, or slap Dean, do something, but her mind simply couldn't process the thoughts. As he kissed her, Rory wondered how she could ever have thought herself to be in love with him. He didn't make her feel weak in the knees by touching her, like Jess did; he didn't make her mind hazy with his kisses, as Jess did. So, unable to move or think, Rory just stood there, unaware that a certain pair of coffee brown eyes was watching everything from a window above the diner.

--

Jess woke up from his nap not feeling rested at all. He stood up slowly and ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to comb it, knowing that Rory would be home soon. _"In fact, she should be home already," _he thought to himself. He walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, drinking half of it in one swallow. He wiped his lips of the moisture before walking over to the window and looking out at the town. He saw people walking around the square, neighbors chatting on the sidewalk, children playing by the gazebo. He smiled with happiness as he realized that his is what his life had become, not minding in the slightest. That's when he caught sight of Rory walking toward the diner. He smiled widely. He had missed her today, and he could use a little cheering up after hearing about the whole 'Dean situation'. She was just two blocks away, now only one... But then she stopped walking and turned around, just as someone ran up to her. Jess squinted his eyes to make out the face of the intruder, and he let out an angry noise deep in his throat. _Dean_. He became angrier when he saw that Rory was talking to him, and even angrier still when Dean hugged her. He seethed from the upstairs apartment window as he watched them._ "What is Rory doing? Why doesn't she just walk away from him? Why is she still standing there? I can't believe she--" _His thoughts were interrupted when all of a sudden the pair were kissing. An animalistic rage took over Jess as he watched them, and he started breathing heavily when he realized that Rory wasn't pulling away. After about 30 seconds, he ran out of the apartment and down the stairs, out of the diner, ignoring the shouts he got from Luke. He barely heard anything as the adrenaline pumped through his veins. He walked over to Dean and Rory, who were _still _kissing, and let out a loud noise, making his presence known. Dean heard him and pulled away from Rory just in time for Jess to punch him squarely in the jaw. He fell to the ground instantly, his head spinning. Jess heard Rory gasp but ignored it. His only thoughts were of beating the crap out of Dean. When Dean tried to stand up, he punched him in the nose, satisfied when he heard it crunch. Dean let out a yelp as blood began to flow through his fingers. Jess breathed heavily as he hovered just above Dean, his hand throbbing. He could barely feel it.

"Stay the hell away from Rory," he threatened.

Dean looked up at him. "What did you say?"

"I said, stay the _hell _away from her."

"I don't really think that's you're decision to make, Jessie." Dean teased, smirking, egging Jess on.

Jess punched him again, in the cheek this time. "Yeah, it is, actually."

"And why is that?"

"Because she's _my _fiancee," Jess said through gritted teeth as he punched Dean one last time.

Dean didn't respond, he just stayed on the ground, groaning and clutching his face, on the edge of unconsciousness.

Jess turned to face Rory, whose face was white. She looked at him like a small child, and he felt his insides melt. However, that did not change the way he felt about how he had just seen her with Dean.

"Jess, I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened, Dean was just there, and then we were talking, and then he kissed me, and then--"

Jess looked at her coldly, his heart breaking at the tears running down her face. "Save it," he spat out.

Rory's eyes widened in shock. "Wh--What?"

"I said save it. I'm done."

Rory felt her heart break at his words, unaware that Jess' was doing exactly the same thing. She crumpled into a heap on the ground, weeping. It took every bit of self-control Jess had to walk past her and not comfort her or hold her. He didn't even look at her as he walked back to the diner and up the stairs, locking the door behind him. He sat out on the bed and cried for the first time in fifteen years. He just couldn't stop.

* * *

**I know, I know, I'm sorry. But, there had to be some sort of conflict with Dean. But don't worry, Rory does _not _end up with Dean. So, please review this chapter and the other ones, as it motivates me to keep writing. This conflict should be resolved within the next chapter or two, but be ready for a T-rated exchange of words. Just informing you guys. **

**-soonerchick7**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey guys. So, as I always start, thank you all so much for the reviews! Chapter 22 got the most of all of them, 17! So, anyway, thank so much for that. I'm ****_so _sorry that I haven't updated for like, two weeks. I know that's wildly out of character for me, especially when I left you guys on such a sad note with this one. Summer and vacations got in the way, so I'm really sorry for that. I also started work on my book, so I've been semi-preoccupied with that, too. But, here is the update that you have all been waiting for, I hope you like it! Please keep reading, reviewing, and spreading the word!**

**-soonerchick7**

* * *

Jess woke up and tried to open his eyes. He could barely see, they were so swollen from crying. He reached over and felt for Rory, the person that could always calm him down. And then, all at once, everything came flooding back to him. He had seen Rory kiss Dean and not pull away. He had fought Dean, and most likely broken his nose. That made Jess smile slightly. But then, he had turned all of his pent-up rage on Rory, and he had... He had told her he was _done_?! Jess ran his fingers through his hair and almost started crying again. Why hadn't he let Rory explain herself? Why had he just jumped to conclusions? That was something the 'Old Jess' would have done, but not this new, improved, _better _version of Jess. He groaned loudly, and the door slammed open. He sat up, frightened. He heard footsteps coming across the floor loudly and angrily. It was Luke.

_"Oh shit," _Jess thought to himself.

Luke glared down at him. He took a deep breath. "JESS! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO RORY? WERE YOU EVEN THINKING? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO HER, _AGAIN_?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE-- GOD, I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE YOU RIGHT NOW! WHAT DID YOU DO?"

Jess cowered away from Luke's loud voice. This was _so _not what he needed right now.

Luke hovered over him, breathing heavily after his rant. His eyes were shooting daggers. "JESS? I'M TALKIN' TO YOU, SO YOU SURE AS HELL BETTER ANSWER ME!"

"I don't-- I don't know," Jess answered lamely.

Luke growled as an answer.

Jess glared back at him. "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, LUKE! I DON'T NEED THIS RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY FROM YOU! SO WHY DON'T YOU JUST GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY APARTMENT AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Luke staggered backwards, surprised at Jess' tone and language. "This is _my _apartment, bub," he said in an angry whisper.

Jess stood up. "FINE THEN! I'LL JUST LEAVE!" He grabbed some paper, a pen, and a book and ran out of the small room, slamming the door behind him. He looked down at the floor as he walked through the diner, not wanting to have to deal with the expressions and whispers of the townspeople. He stalked off toward the bridge.

* * *

Rory lay curled up in the fetal position on her bed, bawling her eyes out. Jess had just ended everything, her happiness, her future, her _life_, with two little words. They echoed through her head like a mantra, killing her slowly.

_"I'm done." _

She could still see his face, the coldness in his eyes. It caused her to burst into a fresh fit of tears, and she pulled the quilt higher up under her chin. Lorelai ran into the room; she had just gotten a call from Luke that said that she needed to go home, _now._ She sat down on the bed and took Rory into her arms.

"Hey, Rory, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Lorelai had no idea what was happening.

"M--Mom, it was horrible. D--Dean came ba-back into town, and he's div-divorced. He--He kissed me." Rory was struggling to form complete sentences through her sobs.

Lorelai gasped. "Dean _kissed _you? Oh my God! What happened after that?"

"Well, J--J--Jess, he, he saw, and..." Rory began to shake uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face. "He-- He fought Dean and punched him, broke his nose."

Lorelai smiled. "Well, I don't see how that's bad. Go Jess!" She pumped a fist in the air, but immediately brought it down as Rory cried harder. "Wrong thing to say?"

Rory nodded. "Me and Jess, we're... We're done."

"WHAT?!"

"J-Jess, he... He told me, he told _everyone _in town. He just stood there after def--defending me, and didn't give me a chance to explain my--myself. He just said, 'We're done', and walked away. I came here because I didn't have anywhere to go!" Rory shouted the last part and burst into tears again, her body racked with unstoppable spasms. She wailed hopelessly, and Lorelai sat there, rubbing comforting circles on her back.

"Mom, what do you do when the only person who can make you stop crying is the one who made you start?" Rory said hopelessly.

Lorelai stared down at her daughter in shock. "I don't know, baby, I don't know." On the inside, however, she was thinking of ways to kill Jess. How dare he hurt Rory like that, _again?_ He said it was different this time, that he was different. Lorelai laid Rory down on the bed; she was still crying. She pulled the quilt up over her daughter and stood. Rory looked at her helplessly.

"M--Mom, where are you go--going?"

"I just need to do something, ok Ror? I'll be back soon. Just, stay in the house, watch movies, eat ice cream. I'll be home in a little while."

Rory nodded before sniffling and laying her head back down on her pillow, shutting her eyes.

Lorelai walked out of the room angrily and left the house, locking the door behind her. She practically ran in the direction of the bridge, she knew that Jess and Rory practically lived there. She was ready to give Jess Mariano a piece of her mind.

* * *

Jess shifted between reading, writing, and staring blankly at the water as he sat on the bridge. He couldn't believe that he had just gone off on Luke like that, he shouldn't have. It wasn't Luke's fault that Jess was a stupid idiot who just threw away the rest of his life. Jess threw his book down onto the bridge and scribbled furiously on the paper he had brought with him. Even though he and Rory were finished, Jess still had to write to her and tell her how much he loved her. These letters that he was writing now were filled with apologies and pleadings for her to take him back; he was being pathetic, he knew, but he didn't care. A few tears fell off his cheeks and onto the paper, smudging the ink. He didn't even hear the footsteps on the bridge. The next thing he knew, he was being dragged onto his feet by his jacket collar. His eyes were met with the very angry glare of Lorelai Gilmore.

"Lor--Lorelai." Jess gulped.

Lorelai didn't say anything. She brought up her right hand and smacked him across the face, _hard._

Jess looked at her, shocked. She slapped him again. Tears were streaming down her face, and she just kept hitting him on the arms, face, whatever she could reach. She was angry, and Jess thought she might have been drunk. He stepped back and grabbed her arms.

"Lorelai, what the _hell _is wrong with you?!" Jess yelled.

She glared at him. "What's wrong with me? WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?! You broke my daughter's heart _again, _Jess! You promised that you wouldn't! How could you do this to her? To me? To yourself? What is wrong with you? I trusted you, _Rory _trusted you! And you go off and do THIS?!" Her voice cracked with the last word.

Jess looked at her, his jaw slack. He had never heard Lorelai yell at anyone this much before, and truthfully, he was a little scared. She stood there and cried, but they weren't sad tears, they were angry, frustrated tears.

"Why did you do this to us? We don't need people like you! You just ruin EVERYTHING!" Lorelai shrieked, hitting him again.

Jess flinched. "Lorelai, listen to me, I'm--"

"NO! I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY TO YOU! SO YOU JUST STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME, AND YOU SURE AS HELL BETTER STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM RORY. I NEVER WANT TO SEE OR HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN. _EVER._" She spat the last word.

"Lorelai, _please,_" Jess begged. "I'm so, SO sorry, I just need to see Rory, _please!_"

"NO!" Lorelai screamed. Her eyes hardened and her voice became quiet and hoarse. She glared at him and stood inches away from his face. "No." She walked off the bridge, not bothering to look back. If she did, she would have seen Jess' pleading eyes, the way he fell onto his knees and cried, the way the he still desperately needed Rory, no matter what he had said before. She didn't see any of it.

* * *

Rory sat on the couch in a blind haze, eating ice cream out of the carton and staring at the TV. She didn't really see anything, didn't feel anything. Everything felt numb. She sat there, cold, alone, confused, and hurt. Nothing that anyone said or did could make this any better. Only Jess. And he was the one that had caused it all. She sighed as the silent tears ran down her face. She didn't even try to stop them. Lorelai practically ran through the front door and set down a bag of takeout from Luke's. Rory wailed and ran into her room, shutting the door behind her.

"Rory, what's wrong?" Lorelai asked through the door. "You love Luke's!"

"Jess works at Luke's," came Rory's muffled reply.

"Oh." Lorelai took the takeout and threw it away immediately, regretting it almost instantly. Being pregnant and having a daughter in distress was not a good mix for anyone, especially her. She had just started to show, and it wasn't fair that she could be so happy when her daughter wasn't. She sighed and sat down on the table, taking her face in her hands. Poor, poor Rory. She didn't deserve this. She was the sweetest girl in the world, and she'd already had enough to deal with on the failed relationship front. Everything had just started to get perfect with Jess, and the wedding was only a month away... Lorelai gasped. _Oh my God, the wedding. _What were they going to do? They couldn't just cancel all of the plans, could they? It wouldn't be that easy. The phone rang.

"Hello?"

_"Hey, Lorelai. It's Luke."_

"Hey, honey." Lorelai's voice was tired.

_"How is she?"_

"Not good. I'm really worried about her, Luke."

_"Yeah, I know you are."_

"Have you heard from him?" Lorelai couldn't even bring herself to say Jess' name.

_"Nope. He's not in the apartment, and I can never find him around town. I have no idea where he is." _Lorelai could hear the worry in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Luke. I know that must be hard for you."

_"It is, but I'm really mad at him right now. He had no right to just--"_

"Luke, Luke, stop." Lorelai didn't want to hear Luke start in on yet another of his angry speeches about how Jess was such a good kid but sometimes made bad decisions. Especially breaking up with Rory a month before the wedding.

_"Sorry, got carried away."_

"It's ok. Tell me if you hear anything?" She knew that Luke knew who she was asking about.

_"Yeah, I will. You too." _

Lorelai nodded, but then realized he couldn't hear a nod. "Ok, I love you. See you soon?"

_"Yeah, love you too. Bye."_

The phone clicked as Luke hung up. Lorelai turned off her phone and leaned back in the chair, rubbing her temples. She heard a slight noise and opened her eyes to see Rory standing in the kitchen, staring at her in anger.

"What is it, Ror?"

"You--You--You've been asking _Luke _about _him?_ You told Luke what I told you? How could you!" Tears were welling up in her eyes.

Lorelai stood quickly. "No, Rory, I didn't tell Luke what you told me. And yes, I have been asking Luke about Jess, but only so he could vent to someone. He's really worried, because Jess has been missing for a week."

Rory's eyes turned cold. "I don't care. Why should I care?"

Lorelai opened her arms and pulled Rory into a hug, feeling the tears of her daughter wet her shirt. "It's ok, baby, everything will be fine."

* * *

Jess rubbed his hand as it cramped for the fifth time. He had starting writing to Rory, and he wouldn't stop until he ran out of paper. Which, at this speed, would end up being very soon. He sat by a tree in Central Park He had had to leave town, he had nowhere to go after he yelled at Luke. He hadn't been able to put up with the gossip, it was too much. So, he had to his apartment in New York, away from his complicated life. He knew it must be killing Luke to not know where he was, but he didn't really care. He wasn't sure how to apologize for the way he acted. He was going to stay out here until he thought of a way to win Rory, Lorelai, Luke, _and _the townspeople back. So far, it was slow going. Jess let out an angry breath and continued to write; he flipped the paper over when he ran out of space. He filled every inch of the paper with writing. It seemed appropriate. And then it dawned on him: a plan.

He stood up and walked to the apartment. He grabbed his keys and ran down the stairs two at a time, jumping into his car and revving the engine as he turned it on. Rory's CD blared through the speakers, and it only willed Jess on more. He turned onto the Highway, passing a sign that said: _Connecticut 158 miles. _

--

Rory sat up in bed. She could have sworn she heard someone knocking on the front door. She looked at the clock: _2:46. _Lorelai had spent the night at Luke's that night, so Rory was all alone for the first time since 'the incident'. She laid back down and closed her eyes, thinking that it was just the wind. A few seconds later, she heard it again, more urgent this time. _Knock, knock, knock. _She groaned and stood, wrapping her quilt around her shoulders and slowly making her way to the door. _'Who in the hell is awake at this hour?' _she asked herself as she unlocked the dead bolt. She was met face to face with the person she had been expecting least but hoping to see. He watched her from under dark eyelashes.

"Jess," she breathed.

He took in the sight of her. He had missed her so much, but now, she just looked as tired and miserable as he felt. His heart melted at the thought that he had done this to her, caused her to feel this much pain, _again. _The guilt sank to the bottom of his stomach like a lead weight. He could tell that Rory was fragile, so he chose his next word carefully.

"Rory." It was whispered.

Her eyes hardened, and he could tell that her emotional wall was up. He didn't blame her, his would be up too after the hell he had put her through.

"What do you want?" Her voice was angry, but he could still hear the love in it, hidden down deep.

"I just need to talk to you. Please."

Rory eyed him warily. His eyes pleaded, and he looked like the Jess she used to know, the Jess she had fallen in love with. And so, she opened the door and let him in.

* * *

**Sorry, I don't exactly know how many miles it is from New York to Connecticut, so I just put in a random number. :) **


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey guys. I know, I know, I'm the worst updater in the history of forever. I'M SO SORRY! Again, life got in the way, what with school, birthday parties, family stuff. So, I'm really sorry about all of that, I know you guys have been waiting to see what happens with Rory and Jess. Here it is, hope you like it! Please keep reading and reviewing, you guys keep me going!**

**-soonerchick7**

* * *

_And so, she opened the door and let him in._

Jess' breath hitched when Rory had stood aside and actually let him walk into her house. He could have kissed her. But, he didn't, because he knew how she was probably feeling, and he knew that it wouldn't help the situation. He just had to do what he came here for. He walked over to the couch quickly, running a hand through his hair when he saw what Rory had been doing before she answered the door. There were empty ice cream cartons and pizza boxes strewn across the living room table, several coffee mugs and glasses sitting there half empty. The TV was buzzing quietly; Jess couldn't even bring himself to look at the movie that was playing. He heard the soft patter of footsteps and looked up to see Rory taking a cautious seat on the couch. He mimicked her actions, and the two of them sat in silence. Rory looked at Jess coldly, but he could see the hidden curiosity and longing in her eyes; he was sure his said the exact same thing. Jess just sat there, looking at her, re-analyzing every inch of her face, every part of her that he had missed so much in the past couple of days. When she looked down self-consciously, Jess realized what he was doing and looked away quickly. He heard her even breathing, a sure sign she was angry.

_"It's now or never," _Jess thought to himself. He cleared his throat, and Rory looked up at him, no emotion in her face.

"Rory, I--" Jess started to say, but his voice cracked. _"Shit." _He cleared his throat again, this time looking into her eyes. She gazed back.

"Rory, I just... I just wanted to say th-- that... I'm... I need to..." Jess cursed under his breath as he reached his hand into his pocket, pulling out the letter he had been working on earlier that day. Rory's eyebrows went up in interest for a second, but then shot back down. Jess held the letter out to her as he stood up, not even meeting her gaze. She took it wordlessly. "I just needed to give you that. Bye." He whispered the last word before walking silently out of the house. When he got outside, the cool air hit him in the face, and he remembered Lorelai's slaps and punches. He let out a sigh as he walked back toward his car, not looking forward to the long drive back to New York. _"Oh well, this is my own fault. I deserve it."_

* * *

Rory sat on the couch in awe, looking down at the envelope Jess had given her. What was it? A break-up letter? An apology? Rory knew that Jess hardly wrote anything other than his books, so this was a very special letter, one that she wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to read. She let out her breath in a whoosh, not realizing she had been holding it. She looked at his familiar handwriting on the front, the familiar handwriting that she had missed _so _much. All it said was her name, _Rory._ She took a deep breath and turned the envelope over, opening it slowly, making sure that this wasn't all a dream. The paper was once thick, but Jess had written so much that it was thinned to an almost non-existent state. She turned on the light and began to read.

_Rory,_

_I'm not really sure what to say right now. You kissed Dean. I saw you. I punched Dean and then broke everything off. I know I should probably be apologizing to you, and actually voicing my emotions, but for some reason, I can't. You know how I am. Anyway, I just want to let you know right now that I'm not sorry for what I did. The punching Dean thing, I mean. I just can't believe what I said after, it's still a shock to me. I know that you're probably really angry, and hurt. I know that. You should probably just burn this letter right now and forget about me forever. _

--

"Yeah right, like _that's _going to happen," Rory whispered quietly.

--

_I just... I just feel like I'm not good enough for you. I've never been enough. You have so much going for you: you went to Yale, graduated at the top of your class and were voted valedictorian, you have a loving family who would do anything to see you happy, you have the paper. You don't need me, Rory. You don't. I don't fit into your life, I just come in at random times, whenever I feel like it, and mess everything up again. This time I royally screwed everything up. I just kept looking for ways that our relationship, our future marriage, would work, and I just couldn't let my mind go there. It wouldn't work. I don't know why. I'm really angry at you, and I don't want to love you anymore, but you and I both know that will never happen._

--

Rory felt the tears start to fall down her face, the ones she had worked so hard to stop. Jess had brought them back again. She read the next part with difficulty, because Jess had scratched it out with his pen. It was still barely legible.

--

_So, I guess what I really want to say is that... I hate you, Rory Gilmore, and I don't understand how you could have done this to me. You kissed Dean, for crying out loud, the guy that I despise most in the world, next to Logan Huntzburger. I can't believe you. I hate you more than anyone I've ever known, and I just can't believe that I did this to myself again, let myself believe that everything would just work itself out. It never does, only in books._

--

Rory shook her head, the tears pouring freely now, her hand coming up to her mouth. She couldn't believe Jess was saying all of this, but it was what she needed. She saw how Jess had tried to tell her how he felt, but how he'd crossed it out. She didn't understand.

--

_I didn't mean any of that, Ror. You know that I could never hate you. I love you more than life itself, more than writing, more than books, more than air. You are my life support, and without you, I am just a shell of a man, walking across this earth with no purpose. I don't hate you, I don't. You are everything to me, my everything, my always, my forever. I don't know how I'm going to live without you, but I guess I'm going to have to try. _

_I love you,_

_Jess_

--

Rory gasped at the last line. She couldn't let Jess do that to himself, and she couldn't try to get over him. She would never be able to! She loved him too much to move on. She read the last 'I love you', and then walked into her room, pulling clothes out of her drawers and stuffing them into a duffel bag that had been open at the bottom of her closet for weeks. The light of the sun was just coming over the top of the trees, but Rory barely noticed. She grabbed everything and anything she could; she barely heard her cell phone ring. She ran over, hoping that it was... _Jess _read on the screen. Rory let out a relieved sigh and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

_"Is this Rory Gilmore?"_

Rory frowned. It wasn't Jess' voice on the other line. She let out a frustrated sigh. "Yes, this is Rory Gilmore. Who is this?"

_"This is Dr. Benton from the Connecticut National Hospital. You were listed as Mr. Mariano's first speed-dial."_

Rory's stomach dropped, her heart stopped beating. "The-- The hospital?"

_"Yes. Mr. Mariano has been in a serious car accident, I think it would be best if you came down here right away."_

Rory felt the bile rising in the back of her throat, the fear overtaking her senses. "I'll be there right away." She snapped her phone closed and grabbed the duffel bag, not even taking the time to write a note to her mother. There wasn't any time. She had to see Jess. _Now._

* * *

Rory went thirty miles over the speed limit, and made it to the hospital in 20 minutes. She rushed through the Emergency Exit entrance, looking around frantically. She saw people running around, heard monitors beeping and shouting, and she saw the patients seated, waiting. She ran up to the front desk.

"May I help you?" The receptionist asked coldly.

"Yes, my name is Rory Gilmore, my fiancee Jess Mariano was in a car accident? I was told to come down here immediately."

The receptionist's eyes softened, but her tone stayed the same. "Room 428." She nodded in the direction of the elevator.

"Thank you," Rory said as she ran toward the stainless steel doors. As she watched the numbers slowly tick by, she remembered why she hated hospitals. They were so cold, and almost everyone in them was cold. The patients were usually miserable, and the whole place smelled like hand sanitizer, blood transfusions, and latex gloves. She shuddered as the doors opened to 'Floor 4'. She sprinted down the hallway, reading the numbers on the windows as fast as she could, looking for Jess. She saw it, down at the end of the hallway: Room 428. Rory ran in and pushed the door open quickly, intent on yelling at Jess for just leaving her like that, not even talking to her. But what she saw in front of her cleared her mind of all thought.

Jess was lying in a hospital bed, tubes in his nose, arms, legs, almost anywhere a tube could go. He was so bruised that Rory could barely see the actual color of his skin; his hair was matted with blood and tightly bandaged. He wasn't even breathing on his own; they had a machine hooked up to him. The heart monitor beeped loudly, slowly. His left arm and right leg were both in casts, the others heavily bandaged, blood already seeping through.

Rory shut the door so only a crack was open, not wanting anyone to interrupt. She leaned against the wall, sliding down, crying into her hands. This was all her fault. Jess had been tired when he'd come to visit her, she could tell that. Why didn't she ask him to stay? He wouldn't have been driving, wouldn't have gotten hit, none of this would have ever happened. She cried and cried, ignoring her phone when it went off. She threw it against the wall, angry at the intrusion. She stood slowly, still crying, and walked over to his side. He looked so weak, so helpless, something Jess Mariano certainly wasn't. Rory grabbed a chair and pulled it over to the bed, sitting down quickly before her knees gave out. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Jess, he just looked so... un-Jess. She cried herself to sleep, her arms crossed on the bed next to his hand, her chin resting on her arms.

--

Rory awoke to the sound of frantic beeping and people yelling. She opened her eyes and realized that she was being pushed out of the room by a nurse.

"What are you doing?!" Rory yelled at her, her voice breaking.

"Ma'am, you can't be in the room right now, the nurses are trying to rectify the situation..." The nurse tried to say in a calm voice.

"WHAT SITUATION?!" Rory shouted.

"Mr. Mariano's heart monitor started beating too quickly, and he started to convulse. The nurses are trying to calm his body so that it will accept treatment."

Rory's breath left her chest. "Wh--What?"

"Please, miss, just wait outside. You will be informed when you are allowed back in the room." The nurse turned on her heel and ran back into Jess' room, shouting orders aimlessly at interns. Rory burst into tears again. Jess couldn't die, it wouldn't be possible. She needed him. She needed him more than anyone or anything in the entire world. Without him, she would cease to exist. A doctor opened the door, gloved hands covered in dark crimson liquid. Rory's eyes widened. The doctor realized who he was looking at and immediately turned the other way, scrambling frantically down the hall.

--

Rory sat in the cold, hard plastic chair outside of Jess' room for what felt like forever, waiting. She listened to the bustle of the hospital, every loud beeping noise, making her want to vomit. She looked up and down the hallway countless times, looking for someone who could tell her what was going on, how Jess was, anything. She couldn't stand the not knowing. She looked down at her shoes again, rubbing her hands with her eyes. All of her make-up was gone now, so what was the point? She let out silent tears and sat in the chair shaking from silent body-racking sobs. She heard the distant noise of high heels in the hallway, but thought she might be hallucinating. She hadn't slept so well when she had fallen asleep at Jess' side, and it didn't help that it was only for half an hour. She sighed, and her head sunk lower. All of a sudden, there was a hand on her shoulder. Rory looked up and was met with the face of the same doctor from before, with the bloody hands.

"Miss Gilmore?"

Rory nodded. She didn't trust her voice.

"We tried everything we could, and I'm sorry but..."

"NO!" Rory screamed, tearing past the doctor and into Jess' room. They were taking out his oxygen tubes, letting him go. The nurses looked up, startled, when Rory burst in, not sure what to do. Rory ran over and took Jess' hand in hers, pressing it to her heart. She wept openly now, not caring who saw.

"Jess, please," she begged. "_Please_, come back. I need you, I can't live without you. I read your letter, the one you wrote for me, and I just need to let you know that everything you said about me and what I did is true! I'm so sorry that I kissed Dean, I only love you, I always have, please, _please _come back to me!" Her voice was taking on a hysterical tone now. She sank down on her knees, putting Jess' hand against her face. "Please, please," she whispered. "I love you, come back to me." There was silence, and then, a moment later, a sound. The beeping of the heart monitor. The nurses looked at each other with shocked expressions, and Rory's eyes widened as she watched the irregular line pattern on the small screen. _"It worked. He's alive, Jess is alive! His heart is beating!" _The nurses put the breathing tube into Jess' nose and the IV back into his vein, then left, leaving Rory alone with Jess. She sat there on her knees, now crying tears of happiness.

"Oh my God, Jess, please don't ever do that to me again, that was the scariest thing, I-- I don't know what I would do if I lost you!" Rory was whisper-yelling. She linked his fingers with hers and sat back in her chair from before, her eyes never leaving his face. She was going to be there when he woke up, it was impossible for her not to be. She heard footsteps behind her, heavy ones. She didn't even turn her head; she recognized that sound.

"Hey Luke," she whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Hey." Luke was whispering too. "What happened? I mean, I know he was in an accident, but... _what happened_?"

"He was just laying here, and I fell asleep, and when I woke up, he wasn't doing so well, so they made me wait outside." Rory's voice was speaking faster and faster. She wanted the silence back, the silence with the tiny beeping noise that made her feel so calm. "And then I was waiting outside for what felt like forever, and then they told me he died, so I came back in here and pleaded with him, and he came back to life. _For me._" She whispered the last sentence, her eyes returning to Jess.

Luke sighed. "Oh. Well, if you wanna go home and shower or whatever, you can. Your mom's there, and she's kinda freakin' out, so I think you probably should..."

"No."

"Rory, come on..."

"No, Luke. I want to be here when he wakes up."

Luke put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "If there's a change, I'll let you know. Just give me some time with him, please."

Rory kissed the back of Jess' hand. "I'll be right back, ok? I just have to make myself pretty for you. Because let me tell you, I look like crap right now," she whispered in Jess' left ear. She kissed his cheek. "Be back soon." She stood up and gave Luke a hug. "Thanks, Luke, I really did need to get out of here for a little while. I'll be back in like, an hour or so, ok?"

Luke nodded. "Right."

Rory stole one last glance at Jess before walking out the door and to her car, driving as fast as was legally possible so that she could get back to him.

--

Rory slammed the door closed and ran towards her bathroom, but was stopped by Lorelai.

"Mom! Could you please move, I have to get back to Jess, he could wake up at any moment, I--"

Lorelai held up a hand. "Woah. Hold up. So, Jess dumps you, and when he gets in an accident you're all of a sudden just going to drop everything for him?" Her voice was angry.

"Well, Mom, I love him, ok? I just... I know he hurt me, but he wrote me this letter, and it explains everything, and..." Rory was trying to dodge her way past her mother up the stairs.

"Woah, woah, woah, Jess Mariano wrote you a _letter_? And he talked about _feelings_? Oh man, I am so getting him for this later..."

Rory tapped her foot impatiently. "Not now, Mom, ok? Now, could you please _move_?" Rory managed to push Lorelai out of the way and sprint up the stairs. She got ready in record time, not wanting to miss a single moment of what was happening with Jess. She grabbed an apple and headed out the door, but not before shouting: "Bye Mom, going to see Jess! Please don't make fun of him when he wakes up about the letter thing! Love you, bye!"

--

Rory ran back into the hospital room, noticing that neither Luke nor Jess had moved at all.

"Hey, any change?" Rory asked quietly. It seemed as if Luke and Jess were having a kind of moment.

Luke sniffled slightly, wiping his eyes with two fingers. "Uh, nope. Nothin'. I'm just gonna go to the cafeteria..." Luke turned to walk, but a doctor walked in and stopped him.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Benton. You must be Miss Gilmore?" The young man asked, sticking his hand in Rory's direction. She nodded and shook his hand firmly once. The doctor turned to Luke. "And you must be Mr. Danes."

Luke nodded. "Uh, yeah. So, doc, what's the deal?"

Dr. Benton pulled out his clipboard and scanned the notes, thinking of the best way to voice his next sentence. "Well, according to the tests we've run and the CAT scan results, it seems that the accident may have affected Mr. Mariano's memory."

Luke wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "His memory?"

Dr. Benton nodded. "Yes. It appears that when he was hit, Mr. Mariano suffered serious head trauma. We aren't sure how proficient his memory will be when he wakes up. In fact, he might not remember anything about his former life at all."

Rory gasped and looked over to Jess sadly. "Oh," was all she could think to say. She saw Luke tear up.

"So, he's not gonna remember us?" Luke asked in a gravelly voice.

"I'd say that there is a pretty high percentage that he won't. I'm so sorry. I think the best thing we can do for now is wait." Dr. Benton shook Rory and Luke's hands again and then walked out, leaving all of them in silence.

"So, Jess isn't going to remember us..." Luke mumbled.

Rory let a lone tear slide down her cheek. "Maybe there will be a miracle. Maybe he will."

Luke shook his head. "Nah." He left the room quickly, covering his eyes.

Rory sighed and sat down once again next to Jess. "Come on, babe, wake up for me, please. I need you." Jess' heart beat sped up, and Rory laughed. "Oh, you heard that, huh? Well, maybe if you wake up then I can make it worth your while..." Jess' heart beat sped up even more. Rory laughed out loud. She kissed his hand. "I'll be right back, ok? I have to go call everyone and tell them what's going on, and I have to check on Luke. I think he needs someone to talk to right now."

--

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

Rory sat in her usual place by Jess' side, fanning through _Howl_, reading Jess' notes from the margins. Luke was sitting against the wall, listening to the radio and talking to Ceasar on his cell phone about the diner. Lorelai was next to Luke, one hand on his knee, one hand on her protruding belly, rubbing it gently. She took out one of her earbuds and looked at Rory.

"Hey Ror?"

Rory turned to face her mother.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"How you doin'?"

"Ok. He seems better today." Rory smiled faintly.

Lorelai smiled back. "Yeah, he does. Do you know when Liz is coming?"

"Oh, she should be here any time. She had to leave Doula with TJ, so she said it might take some time."

Lorelai nodded. "Ok. Tell me if you need anything, hun."

Rory smiled. "Ok." She turned back to her book, mouthing the words silently.

Liz walked in not long after, bustling quietly. "Hey everyone, how's my boy?" She walked over to the bed and ran her hand through Jess' hair, then kissed him on the forehead. She looked down at Rory sadly. "Still no change?"

Rory tried to keep her mouth from turning down in a frown. "Nope."

Liz sighed and took a seat next to Luke. "Man, this stinks, doesn't it? I wish he would just wake up already."

No sooner had the words left her mouth then Jess' heart rate started speeding up. Rory looked up at him and saw that his eyelids were slowly opening, then realized that he was choking on his breathing tube. She pushed the 'Call' button. A nurse ran into the room.

"He's choking on his breathing tube, take it out!" Rory shouted. She couldn't watch, so she left the room. She hated that beeping sound, it reminded her of the first time she lost him.

The nurse calmly did as she was told, then monitored Jess' pulse. His eyes were now open, and he was looking around the room frantically, as if waking up from a nightmare. Luke, Lorelai, and Liz rushed over to his side, and he looked at them fearfully.

"Hey, Jess, do you remember me?" Luke asked hopefully, smiling one of his rare smiles.

Jess frowned. "No, should I?" His voice was raspy from lack of use, but it still held the full sarcasm.

Luke's eyes teared up and he shook his head before patting Jess on the shoulder. "Well, nice to meet you, I'm Luke."

"Hey Luke. I'm..." Jess trailed off.

"Jess," Lorelai added helpfully.

Jess looked at her, but nodded. "Jess, right. And who are you?"

"I'm Lorelai, Luke's wife. It's good to have you back." She smiled, tears falling down her face.

Jess looked at her, bewildered. Why was she crying? Then he saw the last woman in the room. She was sobbing, but smiling. He nodded at her.

"Hiya Jess, it's me, Liz. I'm your mom."

"Uh, hi." Jess was suddenly uncomfortable. He felt as if he should know all of these people, but he couldn't remember them at all. He sighed and looked around, but then he spotted her. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen, one with long brown hair and startling blue eyes. He couldn't make out her face quite clearly, everything was still a little fuzzy. She looked so familiar, like someone he used to know. He screwed up his face in concentration, trying to remember. She took her steps toward him slowly, carefully, as if not wanting to scare him. When she finally came into focus, Jess just stared at her. He couldn't seem to make himself stop. She smiled down at him, and he felt his insides melt. He reached up one hand to touch her face.

"Rory," he whispered.

Then everything went black.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey everybody. Wow, I just checked this document, and I definitely haven't updated in like, 20 days. I'm so sorry! I've gotten really caught up in school lately. Word to the wise: DO NOT TAKE AP US HISTORY! And I have two concerts this week for choir, so memorization and stuff got a little hectic. I will try to update as much as I can in the near future, just bear with me, as we all know how demanding school can be.**

**And iluvjessmariano: Thanks so much for your concern, you're such a sweetheart! Nothing really has happened, like I said above, I've just gotten caught up in life. I've also been kinda sick recently, so I've been focusing on getting better. But thanks so much for caring, you're absolutely adorable! **

**Keep reviewing, even though I suck at updating... You guys rock!**

**-soonerchick7**

* * *

**RORY'S POV**

_"What? Did he just say...?"_ I stared down at Jess, my mouth forming a small, tight 'o'. It took me a second to realize that he had just passed out again, and that the nurses were sticking tubes back into him. I hated that, I wished they would just leave them alone. I bet he did, too. That thought brought a smile to the corners of my mouth, and I turned around to look at everyone. They were all staring at me, eyes wide, mouths open, as if they had just witnessed a miracle. I looked at my mom cautiously.

"He--He remembered me," I whispered. I started to cry, and my mom held open her arms. I ran into them, breaking down into sobs.

"I know baby, I know," my mom answered in awe. I could feel her head shaking. None of it made any sense. Jess couldn't remember any of them, and then he sees me and instantly recognizes me? What was with that? Was he messing with me or something? It didn't seem real. I looked at Luke apologetically, and saw that he had anger and sadness in his eyes.

"Luke, I..."

He cut me off. "I have to go check on the diner. Call me if anything happens." And he left the room. I felt so bad, as if it were my fault that Luke's feelings were hurt. But then I remembered: it was. It was my fault that Jess was in the accident, my fault that he was lying there in the bed, his heart beating slowly. All of it was my fault. I ripped away from my mom.

"What is it, sweets?" She asked me quietly.

I looked over at Liz, who had tears falling silently down her face. She looked at me and managed a weak smile before she spoke, her voice cracking. "I'm uh... I'm gonna go get something from the cafeteria." She left as quickly as Luke had.

I sat down in my spot at Jess' side from before, burying my head in my hands, crying silently. I heard my mom take a few steps closer to me, but I didn't move to acknowledge her presence.

"Sweets, you gotta talk to me. What's goin' on?" She put her hand on my shoulder, and I shrugged it off.

"It's all my fault, Mom. _All of it_. The fact that Jess is here and not home safe, with me. The fact that he can't remember any of you, that he probably never will. ALL OF IT!" I shouted the last sentence, and I saw her jump back slightly. My shoulders sagged in desperation.

"Ror, I--"

"Could you just go, Mom. _Please?_ I kinda want to be alone right now." I looked up at her through bloodshot eyes.

She nodded. "Yeah, baby, I can leave. Call me if you need anything, ok?"

I looked away from her and back at Jess' face. His forehead was wrinkled in concentration, and it made me remember of the face he used to make when he was writing. One he would probably never make again. I cried myself to sleep, holding his hand.

--

Somebody was rubbing my head soothingly, and it felt nice. I opened my eyes groggily and sat up. _It was Jess. _I gasped, and his eyes opened fearfully.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you? I didn't mean to, I..." His voice was panicked.

"No, no, Jess, you didn't hurt me, you just surprised me." I didn't know why I was whispering, but it seemed appropriate.

"You just looked so... So sad. I wanted to help." He looked away from me, dropping his hand. "I'm sorry," he added quietly.

"Sorry for what, Jess?"

"For surprising you."

"It's ok, babe, I don't mind." I grabbed his hand in between both of mine, and he cocked an eyebrow.

"Babe?"

I chuckled lightly. "Yeah."

"You never called me babe. You--You always..." He looked away, as if trying to remember. "You always made fun of me for calling you babe, saying it was ridiculous. You called me... You called me Dodger. From some book..."

"Oliver Twist," I answered quickly.

His face lit up. "Yeah! Oliver Twist! And, I remember we were talking about outside, somewhere..."

"In Stars Hollow." I was willing him to remember now, hoping it would all come back to him.

"Where?"

My face fell, and he saw.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could..."

I silenced him by putting a finger to his lips. "Don't apologize. It's ok. I'll just... Have to cope, I guess."

He sighed angrily and rubbed his left eye. "Geez, what the hell?"

I looked at him with a confused expression. "What?"

"What's going... AH! Rory, oh no, Rory, I have to get back to Rory..." He was mumbling and yelling.

"JESS?! Jess, I'm right here, baby, tell me what's wrong!" I clutched his hand tightly.

"No, get on your side of the road, you--" He went limp against his pillow.

I was sobbing. "Oh my God, Jess, please, don't... don't do this to me! Please, not again, oh my God..."

--

**JESS' POV**

I heard a soft voice calling to me from far away. It almost sounded as if I was underwater. But, if I was underwater, why was everything so dark. I tried to speak, but realized I couldn't. I tried to open my eyes, but again, I couldn't. I had to tell the voice that I was ok, that everything was going to be ok...

_"Oh my God, Jess, please, don't... don't do this to me! Please, not again, oh my God..."_

I struggled again to find the right words to say to the voice. It was a woman, I realized. Then something clicked. Rory! It was Rory! Rory was the one who was so worried about me, the one who was frantically screaming at me to wake up. I forced my eyes open with all the strength I could muster. I saw a small sliver of light as they cracked open.

"Jess? JESS? OH MY GOD, are you ok? Jess?"

I opened my eyes fully to see Rory's face hovering above mine, just inches from my lips. I smiled.

"Rory." My voice sounded foreign, even to me. I was whispering. Why? I cleared my throat and tried again. "Rory."

She nodded quickly. "Yeah?"

"You're--" I coughed. "You're crushing my lungs."

She jumped off of me, and I let out a small laugh, turning my head to look at her. I winked, and she smacked my arm.

"Geez!" I winced slightly. She hadn't hit me that hard, so I decided to have some fun with her. I groaned in mock pain.

"Oh my gosh, Jess, are you ok? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I--"

I winked at her. "Gotcha." I grinned devilishly, and her eyes grew angry.

"Jess Mariano, how dare you? I was worried that I actually hurt you! Jerk!" She hit me again, and I laughed loudly. It sounded more like a bark to my ears.

"I just wanted to make sure you hadn't gone all soft on me."

She laughed quietly and sat back down in her chair. She let out a small sigh, and I reached over to cup her face with my hand, ignoring the searing pain it sent up my left side.

"Hey, what's wrong, babe?" I put an emphasis on the last word, hoping to make her smile. I succeeded. But, I also noticed that she was crying, because I felt the small droplets running over the rough skin of my hand.

"I... I just--I feel..." She was having trouble speaking, and it made me frown.

"You feel what?"

"Like this is all my fault."

"Rory." My voice was rough, angry. "Look at me right now." As she looked over her eyelashes at me, I felt my heart melt. "This whole... _thing, _what's going on with me, is NOT your fault. Do you understand me? I don't know how it happened, but it is NOT your fault that I am like this!" I hadn't realized my voice was rising until my ribs started to ache. I laid back against my pillow tiredly, breathing heavily.

"Yes it is." She whispered it to herself, but I heard.

"Hey," I murmured gently. "Look at me." She looked up again. "This isn't your fault. There is nothing you could have done to prevent this."

"I could have asked you to stay." She was whispering again.

"What did you say?"

"I said, I could have asked you to stay."

"When?"

"Before, when you... Never mind." She looked away.

I grabbed her hand, lacing our fingers. The action felt so familiar, I liked it. I missed it. "No, tell me."

"Well, before your accident, you came over to my house and gave me this... this letter that you wrote."

"What was it about?" The memory was slowly forming in my mind, coming into focus like a telescope. I was seeing tiny details of it now.

"We had been having... issues, I guess you could say. The letter was about how you were feeling. About us, our relationship, what I did, everything."

"Our _relationship_?" I asked. Everything was starting to come flooding back to me.

"Uh, yeah." She fidgeted in her chair nervously. "We were um... engaged."

"_Were?_ What happened?"

"I kissed someone I shouldn't have."

"Who?"

"Dean."

That one word triggered everything. Everything rushed in. I saw myself writing letters, kissing and laughing with Rory, having an argument with Luke, Lorelai slapping me, and then a very long flashback of me writing a really long letter. And then of me taking it to Rory.

I rubbed my temples soothingly. "Woah."

"What is it?" Rory squeaked.

"I just... You, me, Dean... Everything just... It all just..." I couldn't even take it. I had to close my eyes. I focused on my breathing, and I suddenly felt Rory get very close to me. I could feel her breath lingering just beside my ear, and it gave me goosebumps.

"Are you ok? What happened?" She was talking so quietly that I had to strain my ears to make out each word.

I gulped, trying to slow the beating of my heart, but I could hear it on the monitor. Which meant she could too. Damn it.

I heard her giggle. "Well, well, well, Jess Mariano... Are you... _excited_?" She started to kiss my neck teasingly. I groaned quietly, but not in protest. I had missed this.

"Mmm..." Was all I could think to reply.

She laughed darkly, and it made me shiver with delight. She slowly kissed her way up my jawline, to the corner of my lips. I automatically responded by wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to me, but our almost make-out session was ruined by my stupid injuries. When she brought a tiny ounce of her weight on top of me, my ribs shouted in protest.

"AGH!" I let out a scream of both pain and anger.

"What is it?" She jumped back quickly.

"No, don't... God damn it!" I smacked my fist against the mattress. "Stupid injuries. All I want to do is make out with you, and they won't let me. It sucks." I pouted.

She laughed and blushed. "Oh. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gotten you so excited." She moved back to her position on the chair, and I sighed.

"Ugh. Stupid car accident. I shouldn't have left in the first place. This whole thing with Dean, it wasn't a big deal, just a misunderstanding, I overreacted, and I'm--" She stopped my apology with her lips, and I moaned happily. I had missed the feeling her kisses gave me, how everything seemed so right when we were together. I cupped her face lightly with my hand, and she pecked my lips one more time before pulling away sheepishly.

"Don't apologize. It really was my fault, I just... I shouldn't have let him take it that far, I don't know what came over me--" Now it was my turn to stop her. I grabbed the back of her neck semi-roughly and pulled her back down to my lips. She claimed mine hungrily, leaving barely any space for breathing. Not like I minded of course. As I slowly caressed the back of her hair with my hand, she sighed into my mouth and pulled back, blushing again. It was so cute when she did that. "Wait, are you saying you remember everything?"

I nodded. "Yeah, actually. Now, shut up and kiss me, Gilmore." She happily obliged, and we stayed like that for a few minutes before she pulled away yet again.

"Geez, Jess, we're behaving like a bunch of teenagers."

I laughed. "Is that a problem?"

"Well, not really, but, considering we're both in our twenties..."

"Are you saying you have some objection to making out with me?" I pouted, looking away.

Someone cleared their throat from behind Rory. I looked around her head slowly, smiling at who I saw. He was shuffling his feet nervously, looking at the floor.

"Luke!"

His eyes snapped up to meet mine. "Wha-- What did you say?"

"I said, Luke! Now come talk to me!"

"Do you... _remember_?"

Rory nodded happily. "He does, Luke, he does. I don't know how, but we just started talking about everything, and he remembers!"

Luke laughed happily, and he smiled. Luke smiled!

"Woah, since when do you smile?" I teased.

He automatically frowned. "Since when do you talk?"

"Touche."

* * *

**Alright, so I'm sorry it's kind of short, but this is the best I could do considering the circumstances. Thanks so much for reading, and please review! I'll update as soon as I can! **


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